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Frequency of intravascular catheter colonization by Malassezia spp. in adult patients

Nathalie Curvale-Fauchet1, Françoise Botterel, Patrick Legrand

  • 1Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Hôpital Henri Mondor (AP-HP), Université Paris XII, and UMR BIPAR 956, Créteil, France.

Mycoses
|December 17, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Lipid-dependent yeasts like Malassezia spp. can colonize intravascular catheters (IVCs). This study found a 0.7% colonization rate in adult patients, suggesting further research into clinical relevance and biofilm formation is needed.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Clinical Microbiology

Background:

  • Lipid-dependent yeasts, specifically Malassezia species, are infrequently reported colonizing intravascular catheters (IVCs) in adult patients.
  • This underreporting may stem from the lack of supplemental lipids in standard microbiological culture media, hindering yeast detection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of Malassezia spp. colonization in intravascular catheters (IVCs) from adult patients.
  • To identify the specific Malassezia species involved and assess co-infections with common bacteria.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic seeding of 983 consecutive IVCs onto Dixon medium, which supports Malassezia growth.
  • Identification of yeast isolates using Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and restriction enzymes.

Main Results:

  • Seven (0.7%) of the 983 IVCs analyzed showed positive results for Malassezia spp. colonization.
  • Six positive IVCs were from surgical patients, and four of these also harbored common bacterial co-infections.
  • The identified species were Malassezia furfur and Malassezia sympodialis.

Conclusions:

  • Colonization of IVCs by Malassezia species is not negligible in adult patients.
  • Further studies are warranted to determine the clinical significance of these findings and the potential role of Malassezia in biofilm formation on IVCs.

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