Trichosporon peritonitis following duodenal perforation

Invasive Trichosporonosis in Neonates and Pediatric Patients with Malignancies or Hematologic Disorders

(1) Background: Trichosporon species have emerged as important opportunistic fungal pathogens, with Trichosporon asahii being the leading and most frequent cause of invasive disease. (2) Methods: We performed a global review focused on invasive trichosporonosis in neonates and pediatric patients with malignancies or hematologic disorders. We reviewed case reports and case series of trichosporonosis due to T. asahii published since 1994, the year of the revised taxonomic classification. (3) Results: Twenty-four cases of invasive trichosporonosis were identified in neonates with the presence of central venous catheter and use of broad-spectrum antibiotics recognized as the main predisposing factors. Thirty-two cases were identified in children with malignancies or hematologic disorders, predominantly with severe neutropenia. Trichosporon asahii was isolated from blood in 24/32 (75%) pediatric cases. Cutaneous involvement was frequently observed in invasive trichosporonosis. Micafungin was the most commonly used prophylactic agent (9/22; 41%). Ten patients receiving prophylactic echinocandins were identified with breakthrough infections. A favorable outcome was reported in 12/16 (75%) pediatric patients receiving targeted monotherapy with voriconazole or combined with liposomal amphotericin B. Overall mortality in neonates and children with malignancy was 67% and 60%, respectively. (4) Conclusions: Voriconazole is advocated for the treatment of invasive trichosporonosis given the intrinsic resistance to echinocandins and poor susceptibility to polyenes.

Trichosporon asahii infection presenting as chronic meningo-ventriculitis and intra ventricular fungal ball: a case report and literature review

Central nervous system trichosporonosis is a rare clinical entity and so far only six cases including three each of brain abscess and meningitis has been on record. We report a rare case of chronic meningo-ventriculitis and intraventricular fungal ball due to Trichosporon asahii in an 18-year-old immunocompetent male from Burundi, east Africa. Neuroendoscopy showed multiple nodules and a fungal ball within the ventricle, which on culture grew T. asahii. He was initially empirically treated with liposomal amphotericin B. However, the antifungal susceptibility testing of T. asahii isolate revealed high minimum inhibitory concentration for amphotericin B (2 μg ml⁻¹), flucytosine (16 μg ml⁻¹) and caspofungin (2 μg ml⁻¹) but exhibited potent activity for voriconazole, posaconazole, itraconazole and fluconazole. The patient rapidly succumbed to cardiac arrest before antifungal therapy could be changed. Although disseminated trichosporonosis has been increasingly reported the diagnosis represents a challenge especially in rare clinical settings such as intraventricular fungal ball in the present case, which has not been described previously.

A rare case of Trichosporon brain abscess, successfully treated with surgical excision and antifungal agents

Trichosporonosis is an acute, sometimes fatal infection with the potential capability of disseminating to multiple deep organs. More than 100 cases of trichosporonosis have been described, particularly in patients with neutropenia or haematological malignancies. In 1970, Watson et al. described the first case of brain trichosporonosis; the patient died 4 weeks after admission. Herein, we describe a 34-year-old man with a history of autoimmune hepatitis, hypothyroidism, and alopecia totalis, treated with corticosteroids, who was admitted with left lower limb weakness. Brain MRI revealed a diffuse brain lesion in the right frontoparietal area mimicking a brain abscess. After resection of the lesion, Trichosporon asahii was isolated from the abscess. Further treatment with antifungal agents resulted in improvement in clinical status. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second case of Trichosporon brain abscess since the first description in 1970 and the first case of successful treatment of Trichosporon brain abscess.