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Arworn S, Reanpang T, Apichartpiyakul P, Orrapin S, Rerkasem K. Retrospective Review of Management and Overall Survival Rate of Patients With Vascular Pythiosis of the Lower Extremity: 20 Years Experience. INT J LOW EXTR WOUND 2023:15347346231214291. [PMID: 38018022 DOI: 10.1177/15347346231214291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Pythiosis is an infectious disease in humans and animals caused by an aquatic fungus-like micro-organism, Pythium insidiosum. Vascular pythiosis is a difficult condition to treat and can lead to loss of limb in addition to being a potentially life-threatening infection. The condition is furthermore unfamiliar among healthcare workers, which often results in delayed treatment or even misdiagnosis. In this study, we report our findings, which have been gathered over a 20-year period in caring for vascular pythiosis in Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, Chiang Mai, Thailand. We made a retrospective medical review of 32 patients presented with arterial occlusion who have serum anti-Pythium insidiosum antibodies. All patients underwent computed tomography angiography to confirm the level of arterial occlusion and decided on a treatment plan. Twelve out of 22 patients with infrainguinal disease, femoropopliteal or below-knee vascular occlusion, survived. The mean survival time is 6.58 years. Eight in 10 patients presented with suprainguinal disease died during the follow-up with a mean survival time of 31.6 months. The suprainguinal extension of the disease influenced the outcome, resulting in a higher mortality rate. However, patients presented with chronic limb ischemia had a much greater rate of survival compared to other clinical presentations. Extensive surgical resection combined with antifungal treatment and immunotherapy have proven to be effective in patients with vascular pythiosis in our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supapong Arworn
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Termpong Reanpang
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Poon Apichartpiyakul
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Saranat Orrapin
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Kittipan Rerkasem
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- NCD Center of Excellence, Research Institute of Health Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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Sun H, Qin W, Shao W, Zhou H, Wang X, Jiang J, Ding X. Endovascular Treatment for Isolated Infected Iliac Artery Aneurysms. J Endovasc Ther 2023:15266028231165725. [PMID: 37050852 DOI: 10.1177/15266028231165725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Isolated infected iliac artery aneurysms (IIIAAs) are extremely rare, life-threatening, and intractable. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of endovascular treatment in patients with IIIAAs. METHODS A retrospective study was conducted for all patients who underwent endovascular treatment for IIIAAs between June 2012 and June 2022 in 3 hospitals. The clinical data and follow-up outcomes were reviewed and assessed. RESULTS Fifteen patients were included in this study. The median age was 69 years, 12 patients (80%) were men, and 8 (53%) had hypertension. Most of the patients presented with abdominal or lumbar pain (87%) and fever (60%). The offending pathogen was identified in 11 patients (73%). Fifteen patients had a total of 16 IIIAAs, with 12 (75%) involving the common iliac artery. The immediate technical success rate was 100%, and the 30-day mortality was 7%. Infection-related complications occurred in 2 patients (13%) during hospitalization who were treated by open surgery at a later stage. The median follow-up was 23 months (range: 6-80 months, mean: 32 ± 25 months). Aneurysm recurrence was identified in one patient (7%) 5 months after endovascular repair. It was managed by endovascular stent-graft repair with percutaneous catheter drainage. No patients died during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION Endovascular treatment is feasible, safe, and effective for patients with IIIAAs, achieving acceptable clinical outcomes. Infection surveillance with essential reintervention should be considered for potential infection-related complications. CLINICAL IMPACT This study first reported that 15 patients underwent endovascular treatment for primary isolated infected iliac artery aneurysms (IIIAAs). It showed a good early and midterm outcomes. This is the first and largest multi-center study and the first literature review of IIIAAs. It provides an evidence that endovascular treatment is feasible, safe, and effective to treat IIIAAs. It suggests endovascular treatment is a promising alternative or a bridge to conventional open surgery for IIIAAs. This may promote endovascular therapy in the management of IIIAAs. It would help clinicians to make an appropriate treatment choice for IIIAAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongze Sun
- Departments of Vascular Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Weidong Qin
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Department of Physiology & Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Wenchong Shao
- Departments of Vascular Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Haimeng Zhou
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Weihai Municipal Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Weihai, China
| | - Xiaowei Wang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Weihai Municipal Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Weihai, China
| | - Jianjun Jiang
- Departments of Vascular Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Departments of Vascular Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiangjiu Ding
- Departments of Vascular Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Departments of Vascular Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Qingdao, China
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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Yolanda H, Krajaejun T. Global Distribution and Clinical Features of Pythiosis in Humans and Animals. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8020182. [PMID: 35205934 PMCID: PMC8879638 DOI: 10.3390/jof8020182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Pythiosis is a difficult-to-treat infectious disease caused by Pythium insidiosum. The condition is unfamiliar among healthcare workers. Manifestation of pythiosis is similar to other fungal infections, leading to misdiagnosis and delayed treatment. The geographical extent of pythiosis at a global scale is unclear. This study aimed to analyze the clinical information recorded in the scientific literature to comprehensively project epidemiological characteristics, clinical features, and future trends of pythiosis. From 1980 to 2021, 4203 cases of pythiosis in humans (n = 771; 18.3%) and animals (primarily horse, dog, and cow; n = 3432; 81.7%), with an average of 103 cases/year, were recruited. Pythiosis case reports significantly increased in the last decade. Pythiosis spanned 23 tropical, subtropical, and temperate countries worldwide. Some patients acquired pythiosis from a trip to an endemic country. Strikingly, 94.3% of human cases were in India and Thailand, while 79.2% of affected animals were in the U.S.A. and Brazil. Clinical features of pythiosis varied. Vascular and ocular pythiosis were only observed in humans, whereas cutaneous/subcutaneous and gastrointestinal infections were predominant in animals. Mortality depended on host species and clinical forms: for example, none in patients with ocular pythiosis, 0.7% in cows with a cutaneous lesion, 26.8% in humans with vascular disease, 86.4% in dogs with gastrointestinal pathology, and 100% in several animals with disseminated infection. In summary, this study reports up-to-date epidemiological and clinical features of pythiosis in humans and animals. It increases awareness of this life-threatening disease, as the illness or outbreak can exist in any country, not limited to the endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Yolanda
- Program in Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand;
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta 14440, Indonesia
| | - Theerapong Krajaejun
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +662-201-1452
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History and Perspective of Immunotherapy for Pythiosis. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9101080. [PMID: 34696188 PMCID: PMC8539095 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9101080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The fungus-like microorganism Pythium insidiosum causes pythiosis, a life-threatening infectious disease increasingly reported worldwide. Antimicrobial drugs are ineffective. Radical surgery is an essential treatment. Pythiosis can resume post-surgically. Immunotherapy using P. insidiosum antigens (PIA) has emerged as an alternative treatment. This review aims at providing up-to-date information of the immunotherapeutic PIA, with the focus on its history, preparation, clinical application, outcome, mechanism, and recent advances, in order to promote the proper use and future development of this treatment modality. P. insidiosum crude extract is the primary source of immunotherapeutic antigens. Based on 967 documented human and animal (mainly horses) pythiosis cases, PIA immunotherapy reduced disease morbidity and mortality. Concerning clinical outcomes, 19.4% of PIA-immunized human patients succumbed to vascular pythiosis instead of 41.0% in unimmunized cases. PIA immunotherapy may not provide an advantage in a local P. insidiosum infection of the eye. Both PIA-immunized and unimmunized horses with pythiosis showed a similar survival rate of ~70%; however, demands for surgical intervention were much lesser in the immunized cases (22.8% vs. 75.2%). The proposed PIA action involves switching the non-protective T-helper-2 to protective T-helper-1 mediated immunity. By exploring the available P. insidiosum genome data, synthetic peptides, recombinant proteins, and nucleic acids are potential sources of the immunotherapeutic antigens worth investigating. The PIA therapeutic property needs improvement for a better prognosis of pythiosis patients.
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Yolanda H, Krajaejun T. Review of methods and antimicrobial agents for susceptibility testing against Pythium insidiosum. Heliyon 2020; 6:e03737. [PMID: 32322727 PMCID: PMC7160450 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pythiosis is a life-threatening infectious disease of humans and animals caused by the oomycete microorganism Pythium insidiosum. The disease has been increasingly diagnosed worldwide. P. insidiosum inhabits freshwater and presents in two forms: mycelium and zoospore. Clinical manifestations of pythiosis include an infection of the artery, eye, skin, or gastrointestinal tract. The management of pythiosis is problematic due to the lack of effective treatment. Many patients die from an uncontrolled infection. The drug susceptibility testing provides clinically-useful information that could lead to proper drug selection against P. insidiosum. Currently, no standard CLSI protocol for the drug susceptibility of P. insidiosum is available. This review aims at describing methods and antimicrobial agents for susceptibility testing against P. insidiosum. Several in-house in vitro susceptibility methods (i.e., broth microdilution method, radial growth method, and agar diffusion method) have been established for P. insidiosum. Either mycelium or zoospore can be an inoculum. Rabbit is the commonly-used model of pythiosis for in vivo drug susceptibility testing. Based on the susceptibility results (i.e., minimal inhibitory concentration and inhibition zone), several antibacterial and antifungal drugs, alone or combination, exhibited an in vitro or in vivo effect against P. insidiosum. Some distinct compounds, antiseptic agents, essential oils, and plant extracts, also show anti-P. insidiosum activities. Successfully medical treatment, guided by the drug susceptibility data, has been reported in some pythiosis patients. Future studies should emphasize finding a novel and effective anti-P. insidiosum drug, standardizing in vitro susceptibility method and correlating drug susceptibility data and clinical outcome of pythiosis patients for a better interpretation of the susceptibility results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Yolanda
- Section for Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Theerapong Krajaejun
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Chitasombat MN, Jongkhajornpong P, Lekhanont K, Krajaejun T. Recent update in diagnosis and treatment of human pythiosis. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8555. [PMID: 32117626 PMCID: PMC7036273 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Human pythiosis is an infectious condition with high morbidity and mortality. The causative agent is the oomycete microorganism Pythium insidiosum. The pathogen inhabits ubiquitously in a wet environment, and direct exposure to the pathogen initiates the infection. Most patients with pythiosis require surgical removal of the affected organ, and many patients die from the disease. Awareness of pythiosis among healthcare personnel is increasing. In this review, we summarized and updated information on the diagnosis and treatment of human pythiosis. Vascular and ocular pythiosis are common clinical manifestations. Recognition of the typical clinical features of pythiosis is essential for early diagnosis. The definitive diagnosis of the disease requires laboratory testing, such as microbiological, serological, molecular, and proteomic assays. In vascular pythiosis, surgical intervention to achieve the organism-free margin of the affected tissue, in combination with the use of antifungal drugs and P. insidiosum immunotherapy, remains the recommended treatment. Ocular pythiosis is a serious condition and earliest therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty with wide surgical margin is the mainstay treatment. Thorough clinical assessment is essential in all patients to evaluate the treatment response and detect an early sign of the disease recurrence. In conclusion, early diagnosis and proper management are the keys to an optimal outcome of the patients with pythiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Nina Chitasombat
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Passara Jongkhajornpong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kaevalin Lekhanont
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Theerapong Krajaejun
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Tondolo JSM, Loreto ÉS, Ledur PC, Jesus FPK, Silva TM, Kommers GD, Alves SH, Santurio JM. Chemically induced disseminated pythiosis in BALB/c mice: A new experimental model for Pythium insidiosum infection. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177868. [PMID: 28542438 PMCID: PMC5438141 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Pythiosis is a severe and life-threatening disease that affects humans and various animal species. We report a model of vascular/disseminated pythiosis occurring after subcutaneous inoculation of 2 x 104Pythium insidiosum zoospores/mL in immunocompromised BALB/c mice. For this model, we carried out two rounds of experiments. First, we evaluated two protocols of immunosuppression before inoculation: cyclophosphamide at 150 mg/kg (CYP group) and cyclophosphamide 200 mg/kg plus hydrocortisone acetate at 250 mg/kg (CYP+HCA group). It was not possible to obtain mortality in the CYP group; however, the combination of CYP+HCA altered disease outcomes, with mortality rates reaching 60%. Second, we used the CYP+HCA immunosuppression protocol to analyze the histological and immunological statuses triggered by disease. When we inoculated immunocompetent mice with P. insidiosum zoospores, self-healing occurred via increased levels of IL-2, IFN-γ and IL-17A, which are characteristic of the Th1/Th17 cytokine response. For infected and immunosuppressed mice, the cytokine profiles showed high levels of IL-10, IL-6 and TNF-α. Increased IL-10 values are related to fungal infection susceptibility and led us to speculate that infection may be established through suppression of the host immune response. In addition, histopathological evaluation of the kidneys and liver demonstrated the presence of hyphae and the cellular findings suggested an acute vascular inflammation that mimics vascular/disseminated pythiosis in humans. This is the first murine model for pythiosis that is useful both for understanding the pathogenesis of this disease and for evaluating new treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana S. M. Tondolo
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Érico S. Loreto
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Pauline C. Ledur
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Francielli P. K. Jesus
- Instituto de Química, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Química Orgânica, Laboratório de Processos Tecnológicos e Catálise, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Taiara M. Silva
- Departamento de Patologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Centro de Ciências Rurais, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Glaucia D. Kommers
- Departamento de Patologia, Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Sydney H. Alves
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Janio M. Santurio
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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He H, Liu H, Chen X, Wu J, He M, Zhong X. Diagnosis and Treatment of Pythium Insidiosum Corneal Ulcer in a Chinese Child: A Case Report and Literature Review. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CASE REPORTS 2016; 17:982-988. [PMID: 28025573 PMCID: PMC5207016 DOI: 10.12659/ajcr.901158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Patient: Male, 7 Final Diagnosis: Pythium insidiosum Symptoms: Painful vision loss • red eye Medication:— Clinical Procedure: Application of multiple antifungal medicines followed by the penetrating keratoplasty Specialty: Ophthalmology
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong He
- Hainan Eye Hospital and Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Haikou, Hainan, China (mainland)
| | - Hongshan Liu
- Hainan Eye Hospital and Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Haikou, Hainan, China (mainland)
| | - Xiaolian Chen
- Hainan Eye Hospital and Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Haikou, Hainan, China (mainland)
| | - Jiaochan Wu
- Hainan Eye Hospital and Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Haikou, Hainan, China (mainland)
| | - Miao He
- Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center and State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Sun Yat-sen Universityq, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland)
| | - Xingwu Zhong
- Hainan Eye Hospital and Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Haikou, Hainan, China (mainland).,Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center and State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Sun Yat-sen Universityq, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (mainland)
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Sermsathanasawadi N, Praditsuktavorn B, Hongku K, Wongwanit C, Chinsakchai K, Ruangsetakit C, Hahtapornsawan S, Mutirangura P. Outcomes and factors influencing prognosis in patients with vascular pythiosis. J Vasc Surg 2016; 64:411-417. [PMID: 26951999 DOI: 10.1016/j.jvs.2015.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Vascular pythiosis, caused by Pythium insidiosum, is associated with a high mortality rate. We reviewed the outcomes and established the factors predicting prognosis of patients treated in our institution with surgery, antifungal therapy, or immunotherapy. METHODS We undertook a retrospective record review of patients with vascular pythiosis treated in Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand, between January 2005 and January 2015. Patient characteristics, type of surgery, adjunctive antifungal treatment, adjunctive immunotherapy, and disease status of surgical arterial and surrounding soft tissue margins were recorded. We calculated the mortality rate and established factors predicting prognosis. RESULTS The records of 11 patients were reviewed. All patients had thalassemia. Nine patients (81.8%) had a history of contact with contaminated water. The clinical presentations were chronic ulcers (45.5%), toe gangrene (27.3%), pulsatile mass (27.3%), and acute limb ischemia (27.3%). Above-knee amputation was required in 10 patients (90.9%). The mortality rate was 36.4%. Independent variables between survivors and nonsurvivors were lack of an arterial disease-free surgical margin (P = .003), lack of a surrounding soft tissue disease-free surgical margin (P < .05), a suprainguinal lesion (P < .05) and duration of symptoms (P < .05). Adjuvant itraconazole, terbinafine, and Pythium vaccine have a role to play in patients with a disease-free arterial surgical margin but in whom infected surrounding soft tissue could not be completely excised. CONCLUSIONS Achieving adequate disease-free surgical margins-especially the arterial margin-at amputation or débridement is the most important prognostic factor in patients with vascular pythiosis. Early detection combined with a multidisciplinary approach to treatment, including surgery, antifungal agents, and immunotherapy, allows the best possible outcome to be obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuttawut Sermsathanasawadi
- Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Banjerd Praditsuktavorn
- Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kiattisak Hongku
- Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chumpol Wongwanit
- Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Khamin Chinsakchai
- Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chanean Ruangsetakit
- Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Suteekhanit Hahtapornsawan
- Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pramook Mutirangura
- Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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