{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]],"date-time":"2026-07-14T19:22:45Z","timestamp":1784056965623,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,6]],"date-time":"2025-08-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1754438400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":5,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100009980","name":"Medizinische Universit\u00e4t Innsbruck","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["D\u2010155110\u2010017\u2010016"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["D\u2010155110\u2010017\u2010016"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100009980","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Mycoses"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Diagnosing invasive aspergillosis (IA) remains challenging despite the availability of various tests due to the limited sensitivity and variability in accuracy depending on the clinical context. Laboratory\u2010based definitions consider different mycological criteria, such as culture and galactomannan (GM) positivity, equivalent in diagnostic weight. However, a more detailed analysis is essential for reliably distinguishing true infection from colonisation.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title><jats:p>This laboratory\u2010based pilot study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic reliability of culture positivity by comparing it with fungal microscopy, GM testing, and <jats:italic>Aspergillus<\/jats:italic>\u2010specific PCR in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples, all of which were culture\u2010positive for <jats:italic>Aspergillus<\/jats:italic>.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Materials and Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>Ninety\u2010two <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\"><jats:italic>Aspergillus fumigatus<\/jats:italic><\/jats:styled-content> culture\u2010positive BALF specimens were obtained from mixed patient populations, displaying various risk factors for IA. The multi\u2010assay approach used direct microscopy, GM, and <jats:italic>Aspergillus<\/jats:italic>\u2010specific PCR. The diagnostic value of each test was assessed utilising a composite score based on mycological findings and clinical suspicion.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Among 92 culture\u2010positive BALF samples, positivity rates for microscopy, GM, and PCR were 12.0% (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u200911), 27.2% (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u200925), and 28.3% (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u200926), respectively. Notably, in 58.7% (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u200954) of cases, culture positivity was not supported by any other mycological test. Direct microscopy showed the strongest correlation with other diagnostic methods, whereas GM and PCR showed moderate agreement.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title><jats:p>Based on our data, the current practice of weighing all mycological parameters equally should be reconsidered, with greater emphasis on microscopy and multimodal diagnostics rather than on culture alone, particularly in non\u2010neutropenic patients.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1111\/myc.70103","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,6]],"date-time":"2025-08-06T07:41:35Z","timestamp":1754466095000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Diagnostic Value of Microscopy, Galactomannan, and <scp>PCR<\/scp> in <i>Aspergillus<\/i> Culture\u2010Positive <scp>BALF<\/scp> Samples: A Laboratory\u2010Based Pilot Study"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"68","author":[{"given":"Miriam","family":"Govrins","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology Medical University of Innsbruck  Innsbruck Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7518-7795","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roya","family":"Vahedi\u2010Shahandashti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology Medical University of Innsbruck  Innsbruck Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2946-7785","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cornelia","family":"Lass\u2010Fl\u00f6rl","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology Medical University of Innsbruck  Innsbruck 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