Intravenous catheter-associated Malassezia furfur fungemia

Malassezia furfur, a lipophilic yeast that is the etiologic agent of tinea versicolor, has not been considered as a cause of serious illness in adults in the past. Two adults are described in whom Malassezia furfur fungemia developed while receiving total parenteral nutrition supplemented with lipids. The organism was identified in blood cultures from both patients only after isolation media were supplemented with a source of fatty acids. Because M. furfur will grow only in media supplemented with fatty acids, clinicians should alert the laboratory whenever a lipophilic organism is suspected to be present in blood cultures.