Journal of clinical microbiology
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · May 2013
Electronic nose technology for detection of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in prolonged chemotherapy-induced neutropenia: a proof-of-principle study.
Although the high mortality rate of pulmonary invasive aspergillosis (IA) in patients with prolonged chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (PCIN) can be reduced by timely diagnosis, a diagnostic test that reliably detects IA at an early stage is lacking. We hypothesized that an electronic nose (eNose) could fulfill this need. An eNose can discriminate various lung diseases through the analysis of exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs). ⋯ Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.93. These preliminary data indicate that PCIN patients with IA have a distinct exhaled VOC profile that can be detected with eNose technology. The diagnostic accuracy of the eNose for invasive aspergillosis warrants validation.