Fatal course of pulmonary Absidia sp. infection in a 4-year-old girl undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Risk Assessment for Molds in the Vicinity of a Child Requiring Peritoneal Dialysis Living in a Rural Northern German Area

As well as severe immunosuppression, other predisposing factors may facilitate invasive mycosis caused by molds. Chronic kidney disease and the resulting peritoneal dialysis have been reported as factors putting patients at risk of fungal infections from environmental sources. We describe an environmental investigation undertaken to guide exposure prevention for a peritoneal dialysis patient with transient colonization of her nostrils by Lichtheimia corymbifera in a rural area of northern Germany. Systematic screening for airborne and surface-deposited molds enabled targeted recommendations to be made, although Lichtheimia corymbifera itself was not grown from the collected environmental samples. This communication is intended to illustrate how such an investigation can be performed on the basis of the environmental distribution of the molds and how preventive recommendations can be derived from the results.

[Pulmonary zygomycosis in a diabetic child complicated with thrombus of the left atrial auricle]

Mucormycosis is a rare but fatal, opportunistic fungal infection caused by fungi of the order of mucorales in the class of Zygomycetes. Isolated pulmonary mucormycosis is rare and occurs principally in particular conditions, especially in patients with uncontrolled diabetes. The fungi invades the blood vessels and causes distal ischemic necrosis. We report a case in a 13-year-old girl with diabetes mellitus who developed pulmonary zygomycosis complicated with thrombus of the left atrial auricle. The diagnosis of mucormycosis was confirmed by histologic examination of endobronchial biopsies. Combined treatment with systemic amphotericin B and surgery resulted in a favorable outcome. This difficult diagnosis must be raised in diabetic patients with unresponsive lung infections in order to apply early aggressive therapy. Successful management continues to be early diagnosis, followed by systemic antifungal therapy and surgical resection combined with control of the underlying disease.

Mucormycoses caused by Lichtheimia species

Mucormycoses are life-threatening infections with fungi from the order Mucorales (Mucoromycotina). Although mucormycoses are uncommon compared to other fungal infections, e.g. aspergillosis and candidiasis, the number of cases is increasing especially in immunocompromised patients. Lichtheimia (formerly Absidia) species represent the second to third most common cause of mucormycoses in Europe. This mini review presents current knowledge about taxonomy and clinical relevance of Lichtheimia species. In addition, clinical presentation and risk factors will be discussed. Proper animal infection models are essential for the understanding of the pathogenesis and the identification of virulence factors of fungal pathogens. To date, several animal models have been used to study Lichtheimia infection. A brief overview of the different models and the main conclusions from the infection experiments is summarised in this review.

Pharmacokinetics of liposomal amphotericin B in pleural fluid

We report the penetration of liposomal amphotericin B into the pleural fluid of a patient with pulmonary zygomycosis and empyema. The ratio of area under the concentration-versus-time curve in pleural fluid (AUC(pleural fluid)) to that in serum (AUC(serum)) for liposomal amphotericin B over 24 h was 9.4%, with pleural fluid concentrations of 2.12 to 4.91 microg/ml. Given the relatively low level of intrapleural penetration of liposomal amphotericin B, chest tube drainage may be warranted for successful treatment of zygomycotic empyema.

Zygomycetes infections in pediatric hematology oncology patients: a case series and review of the literature

Fungi from the Zygomycetes class are increasingly recognized causes of infection in immunosuppressed children, but no comprehensive literature review and few case series have been published on the topic. A case series of 6 pediatric oncology patients with Zygomycetes infections cared for at our institution was constructed, and a concurrent search of the English language literature for Zygomycetes infections in children with oncologic disorders was undertaken. Our case series described 6 patients (5 male) between the ages of 2.5 and 19.5 years. One patient was diagnosed with rhinocerebral disease, 2 with rhinosinusitis, 2 with pulmonary involvement, and 1 with a gastrointestinal presentation. Five patients survived. Our literature review identified 82 cases from 61 studies. The mean subject age was 10.8 years (1.4 to 21.0 y). About 92.7% of all patients suffered from some form of leukemia, with 70.7% suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Overall, 58.5% of reported patients survived, with individuals with disseminated disease showing the worst prognosis (68.2% mortality) and those with cutaneous disease the best (14.3% mortality). Survival is increasingly reported in the literature, perhaps as a result of improved diagnostic capabilities, increased physician awareness and increased reliance on adjunctive surgical therapy.

Pulmonary zygomycosis in solid organ transplant recipients in the current era

Fifty-eight solid organ transplant recipients with zygomycosis were studied to assess the presentation, radiographic characteristics, risks for extra-pulmonary dissemination and mortality of pulmonary zygomycosis. Pulmonary zygomycosis was documented in 31 patients (53%) and developed a median of 5.5 months (interquartile range, 2-11 months) posttransplantation. In all, 74.2% (23/31) of the patients had zygomycosis limited to the lungs and 25.8% (8/31) had lung disease as part of disseminated zygomycosis; cutaneous/soft tissue (50%, 4/8) was the most common site of dissemination. Pulmonary disease presented most frequently as consolidation/mass lesions (29.0%), nodules (25.8%) and cavities (22.6%). Patients with disseminated disease were more likely to have Mycocladus corymbifer as the causative pathogen. The mortality rate at 90 days after the treatment was 45.2%. In summary, pulmonary zygomycosis is the most common manifestation in solid organ transplant recipients with zygomycosis, and disseminated disease often involves the cutaneous/soft tissue sites but not the brain.