[Fungemia due to Trichosporon asahii in a patient with hematological malignancy]

Trichosporonosis is an opportunistic infection caused by the genus Trichosporon. The majority of cases of invasive trichosporonosis occurs in immunocompromised individuals.

We describe a case of disseminated infection by Trichosporon asahii in a hematology patient. A 52-year-old man diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia developed a febrile episode during the third cycle of the induction chemotherapy. The blood cultures were positive after 24h incubation, showing elongated structures compatible with fungal elements in the Gram stain. The identification of the fungus as Trichosporon asahii was carried out by the assimilation of compounds of carbon and the amplification and sequencing of the D1/D2 domain and the internal transcribed spacer of the ribosomal DNA. The fungus was also isolated from the pustular lesions that the patient had in the chest. After treatment with amphotericin B, the patient progressed satisfactorily.

Trichosporon asahii is an emergent pathogen in immunosupressed patients and its presence should not be considered as colonization, as there is risk of invasive infection.