Nosocomial invasive Saksenaea vasiformis infection

Saksenaea vasiformis is a zygomycete fungus found in soils worldwide; however, it is rarely documented as a cause of human disease. We describe what, to our knowledge, is the first nosocomial infection caused by S. vasiformis and the first documentation that this organism exists in Louisiana. The infection developed at an arterial catheter site in an otherwise healthy young man treated with high-dose corticosteroids and antibiotics for serious head trauma and caused a "cheesy" yellow necrosis of skin, muscle, tendon, and fascia. Resolution of the process occurred following removal of the arterial catheter and without antifungal therapy. The organism was isolated from deep surgical specimens on routine media but did not produce its characteristic sporangia until grown on Czapek's solution agar. It is recommended that zygomycete isolates not identifiable by routine procedures be grown on media that permit Saksenaea to sporulate.