Effects of fluconazole on viable cell count in experimental intraperitoneal Candida abscesses

We investigated the effects of fluconazole in experimental intraperitoneal Candida abscesses in neutropenic mice treated with cyclophosphamide to assess a clinically appropriate method for the application of fluconazole in fungal infections in patients with neutropenia. The efficacy of fluconazole in fungal infection was investigated in treatments started immediately after Candida albicans inoculation and before C. albicans inoculation (preventive use of fluconazole). In this intraabdominal fungal abscess model, it was confirmed that fungi in already formed abscess were not reduced in number by fluconazole, even when those fungi were susceptible to fluconazole. Fluconazole was effective with both administration methods. We conclude from this study that the effect of the preventive use of fluconazole was equivalent to the effect when treatment was started immediately after fungal inoculation.