Related Experiment Videos
[Trichosporon capitatum septicemia. Apropos of 5 cases]
R Herbrecht1, K L Liu, H Koenig
1Service d'Onco-Hématologie, Hôpital de Hautepierre, Strasbourg.
Abstract:
Invasive Trichosporon capitatum infections are seldom reported. We present here five cases of septicemia. All patients had an acute myeloblastic leukemia and were severely neutropenic. They have also been treated before the onset of the fungal infection with broad-spectrum antibiotherapy and also with an oral azole antifungal agent. The role of this antifungal therapy in the development of T. capitatum infection is discussed. The prognosis of T. capitatum infections is severe. Eight of the 10 published cases had a fatal outcome and one of our patients died of the fungal infection in spite of the treatment.
Insights
Invasive Trichosporon capitatum fungal infections are rare, especially in acute myeloblastic leukemia patients. Prior antifungal treatment may contribute to these severe, often fatal, bloodstream infections.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Hematology
- Infectious Diseases
Context:
- Invasive Trichosporon capitatum infections are infrequently reported.
- This study focuses on five cases of Trichosporon capitatum septicemia in patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia.
- All patients presented with severe neutropenia and had received broad-spectrum antibiotics and oral azole antifungal agents prior to infection.
Purpose:
- To report on the clinical characteristics and outcomes of invasive Trichosporon capitatum infections.
- To discuss the potential role of prior antifungal therapy in the development of these infections.
- To highlight the severe prognosis associated with Trichosporon capitatum septicemia.
Summary:
- Five cases of invasive Trichosporon capitatum septicemia in severely neutropenic acute myeloblastic leukemia patients are presented.
- Patients had received prior broad-spectrum antibiotics and oral azole antifungal agents.
- The infection carries a severe prognosis, with a high mortality rate, including one fatal case in this series despite treatment.
Impact:
- This case series underscores the critical and often fatal nature of invasive Trichosporon capitatum infections in immunocompromised patients.
- It raises awareness regarding the potential role of prior antifungal exposure in the pathogenesis of these rare infections.
- Findings emphasize the need for vigilant monitoring and prompt management of invasive fungal infections in high-risk hematology patients.