[CF Lung Disease - a German S3 Guideline: Module 2: Diagnostics and Treatment in Chronic Infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa]

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common autosomal-recessive genetic disease affecting approximately 8000 people in Germany. The disease is caused by mutations in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene leading to dysfunction of CFTR, a transmembrane chloride channel. This defect causes insufficient hydration of the epithelial lining fluid which leads to chronic inflammation of the airways. Recurrent infections of the airways as well as pulmonary exacerbations aggravate chronic inflammation, lead to pulmonary fibrosis and tissue destruction up to global respiratory insufficiency, which is responsible for the mortality in over 90 % of patients. The main aim of pulmonary treatment in CF is to reduce pulmonary inflammation and chronic infection. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) is the most relevant pathogen in the course of CF lung disease. Colonization and chronic infection are leading to additional loss of pulmonary function. There are many possibilities to treat Pa-infection. This is a S3-clinical guideline which implements a definition for chronic Pa-infection and demonstrates evidence-based diagnostic methods and medical treatment for Pa-infection in order to give guidance for individual treatment options.

[Pichia guilliermondii Infection - A Rare Differential Diagnosis of Pulmonary Nodules]

A patient presented himself with pungent, breath-dependent right chest pain and dyspnea at rest in our emergency department. The physical examination and the ECG revealed no relevant findings. The laboratory results showed an increased CRP, leukocytosis, elevated D-dimers and a respiratory partial insufficiency. In the thoracic CT angiography unclear pulmonary nodules (PN) were seen. The bronchoscopy was macroscopically normal. In the BAL yeasts and a high proportion of immune senescence cells (CD57+) were identified. After a pulmonary wedge resection resulted histologically an epithelioid cell-granulomatous inflammation. Molecular pathological a mycelium genome, in particular Pichia guilliermondii (PC) was detected. The therapy with fluconazole was successful. PC rarely causes candidemia, increased in immunocompromised patients. In our judgement this is in Europe the first described case of PC-infection in a patient, which presented no predisposition to infection with opportunistic pathogens apart from type 2 diabetes.

CONCLUSION

It should be thought of fungal infection by these pathogens group in case of unclear PN, especially in combination with possibly predisposing factors.