AUTHOR=Regmi Moksada , Liu Shikun , Dai Yuwei , Ye Jingyi , Chen Xiaodong , Yang Jun , Yang Chenlong 

TITLE=Case Report: Rare invasive aspergillosis with brain abscess in a non–classically immunosuppressed patient, and pooled analysis of individual patient data (2000–2024)

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Surgery

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/surgery/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2025.1674057

DOI=10.3389/fsurg.2025.1674057

ISSN=2296-875X

ABSTRACT=Intracranial aspergillosis is uncommon but often lethal, especially in classically immunocompromised hosts. We report a 71-year-old man with poorly controlled diabetes (a non-classical risk factor) who developed bilateral frontal abscesses due to Aspergillus fumigatus. After an initial craniotomy with negative cultures and galactomannan, recurrent disease was confirmed by stereotactic biopsy with next-generation sequencing (NGS). Targeted azole therapy (voriconazole, isavuconazole) and multidisciplinary care led to marked clinical and radiographic improvement. We also pooled 343 published cases (2000–2024): overall mortality was 34.6%, and 21.8% among patients without classical immunosuppression (including some with non-classical factors such as diabetes). Improved survival in recent decades likely reflects earlier diagnosis and broader azole use, though inference is limited by case-based evidence. Early tissue diagnosis (including molecular testing), timely surgery when indicated, and CNS-penetrant azoles can yield favorable outcomes in non-classically immunosuppressed patients.