Fusarium incarnatum/equiseti hemodialysis graft infection

Area of Science:

• Medical Mycology
• Infectious Diseases
• Vascular Surgery

Background:

• Hemodialysis graft infections commonly arise from skin flora contamination or bacteremia.
• Infection of implanted vascular devices by filamentous fungi is an infrequent occurrence.

Observation:

• A rare case of a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) dialysis graft infection is presented.
• The causative agent was identified as Fusarium incarnatum/equiseti.

Findings:

• The fungal infection did not yield positive results in standard tissue cultures.
• Molecular identification techniques were crucial for diagnosing the Fusarium graft infection.

Implications:

• This case underscores the importance of considering fungal pathogens in refractory or culture-negative graft infections.
• Molecular diagnostics may be essential for identifying rare fungal causes of vascular graft infections.