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Infection and Drug Resistance 2023() is typically reported to be involved in superficial and subcutaneous fungal infections but overlooked in invasive infections, which is associated with a high...
() is typically reported to be involved in superficial and subcutaneous fungal infections but overlooked in invasive infections, which is associated with a high mortality rate. It poses a diagnostic challenge due to its confusable characteristics to other hyaline hyphomycetes. Here, we reported a psoriasis patient with an invasive infection. The patient presents an abscess at the intermuscular space of the left hip and an increased C-reactive protein level. Pus culture showed white-greyish, cottonlike colonies with aerial mycelium and terminal oval conidia, suggesting . This rare fungus was rapidly confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and RNA sequencing. The patient was successfully treated with voriconazole with no recurrence of the abscesses despite delayed treatment. This is the first such case infection report from China that described an unusual case of intermuscular space abscesses due to . This report highlights the possibility of fungal infections in deeper tissue, as well as the necessity of thorough evaluation and microbiological diagnosis for invasive infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients.
PubMed: 37576520
DOI: 10.2147/IDR.S420991 -
BMC Neurology Apr 2024Scedosporium apiospermum (S. apiospermum) is a rare fungal pathogen that causes disseminated infections. It rarely affects immunocompetent individuals and has a poor... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Scedosporium apiospermum (S. apiospermum) is a rare fungal pathogen that causes disseminated infections. It rarely affects immunocompetent individuals and has a poor prognosis.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 37-year-old woman presented with multiple lesions in the lungs, brain, and eyes, shortly after near drowning in a car accident. The primary symptoms were chest tightness, limb weakness, headache, and poor vision in the left eye. S. apiospermum infection was confirmed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of intracranial abscess drainage fluid, although intracranial metastases were initially considered. After systemic treatment with voriconazole, her symptoms improved significantly; however, she lost vision in her left eye due to delayed diagnosis.
CONCLUSION
While S. apiospermum infection is rare, it should be considered even in immunocompetent patients. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential. Voriconazole may be an effective treatment option.
Topics: Humans; Female; Adult; Near Drowning; Scedosporium; Voriconazole; Brain; Invasive Fungal Infections
PubMed: 38616262
DOI: 10.1186/s12883-024-03637-9 -
Revista Espanola de Quimioterapia :... Dec 2023
Topics: Humans; Scedosporium; Antifungal Agents; Uveitis; Early Diagnosis
PubMed: 37782246
DOI: 10.37201/req/064.2023 -
Journal of Hazardous Materials Jul 2024Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) holds valuable microbiota that can be useful in remediating polluted soils with hydrocarbons. However, the microorganisms behind the...
Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) holds valuable microbiota that can be useful in remediating polluted soils with hydrocarbons. However, the microorganisms behind the bioremediation process remain uncertain. In this work, a bioremediation assay of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) polluted soil by SMS application was performed to elucidate the microorganisms and consortia involved in biodegradation by a metabarcoding analysis. Untreated polluted soil was compared to seven bioremediation treatments by adding SMS of Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus eryngii, Pleurotus ostreatus, and combinations. Soil microbial activity, TPH biodegradation, taxonomic classification, and predictive functional analysis were evaluated in the microbiopiles at 60 days. Different metagenomics approaches were performed to understand the impact of each SMS on native soil microbiota and TPHs biodegradation. All SMSs enhanced the degradation of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, being A. bisporus the most effective, promoting an efficient consortium constituted by the bacterial families Alcanivoraceae, Alcaligenaceae, and Dietziaceae along with the fungal genera Scedosporium and Aspergillus. The predictive 16 S rRNA gene study partially explained the decontamination efficacy by observing changes in the taxonomic structure of bacteria and fungi, and changes in the potential profiles of estimated degradative genes across the different treatments. This work provides new insights into TPHs bioremediation.
Topics: Biodegradation, Environmental; Soil Pollutants; Hydrocarbons; Soil Microbiology; Petroleum; Bacteria; Agaricus; Fungi; Pleurotus; Agaricales; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
PubMed: 38776816
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134650 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2024The Mediterranean Sea stands out as a hotspot of biodiversity, whose fungal composition remains underexplored. Marine sediments represent the most diverse substrate;...
The Mediterranean Sea stands out as a hotspot of biodiversity, whose fungal composition remains underexplored. Marine sediments represent the most diverse substrate; however, the challenge of recovering fungi in culture hinders the precise identification of this diversity. Concentration techniques like skimmed milk flocculation (SMF) could represent a suitable solution. Here, we compare the effectiveness in recovering filamentous ascomycetes of direct plating and SMF in combination with three culture media and two incubation temperatures, and we describe the fungal diversity detected in marine sediments. Sediments were collected at different depths on two beaches (Miracle and Arrabassada) on the Spanish western Mediterranean coast between 2021 and 2022. We recovered 362 strains, and after a morphological selection, 188 were identified primarily with the LSU and ITS barcodes, representing 54 genera and 94 species. , , and were the most common genera, with different percentages of abundance between both beaches. Arrabassada Beach was more heterogeneous, with 42 genera representing 60 species (Miracle Beach, 28 genera and 54 species). Although most species were recovered with direct plating (70 species), 20 species were exclusively obtained using SMF as a sample pre-treatment, improving our ability to detect fungi in culture. In addition, we propose three new species in the genera , , and , and a fourth representing the novel genus . We concluded that SMF is a useful technique that, in combination with direct plating, including different culture media and incubation temperatures, improves the chance of recovering marine fungal communities in culture-dependent studies.
PubMed: 38667952
DOI: 10.3390/jof10040281 -
Cureus Sep 2023This is a case of skull base osteomyelitis (SBO) caused by a rare fungal species, Scedosporium apiospermum. This is a clinical case report with a review of the...
This is a case of skull base osteomyelitis (SBO) caused by a rare fungal species, Scedosporium apiospermum. This is a clinical case report with a review of the literature. SBO is a potentially life-threatening infection of the temporal bone. The patient presented to our hospital with a two-month history of left otalgia, otorrhea and reduced hearing, after failed initial intravenous antibiotic therapy. Thorough examination and further investigation confirmed the diagnosis of SBO caused by a rare fungal species, S. apiospermum. The patient was subsequently started on a long-term course of antifungals which led to an improvement of symptoms. This case highlights the importance of early recognition and considering early antifungal treatment in patients with persistent otalgia and otorrhea, particularly in those who have failed to respond to intravenous antibiotics. Further research is needed to better understand the optimal timing and duration of antifungal therapy in these patients.
PubMed: 37881401
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.45838 -
BMC Infectious Diseases Mar 2024Scedosporium apiospermum (S. apiospermum) belongs to the asexual form of Pseudallescheria boydii and is widely distributed in various environments. S. apiospermum is the... (Review)
Review
Diagnosis of pulmonary Scedosporium apiospermum infection from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid by metagenomic next-generation sequencing in an immunocompetent female patient with normal lung structure: a case report and literature review.
BACKGROUND
Scedosporium apiospermum (S. apiospermum) belongs to the asexual form of Pseudallescheria boydii and is widely distributed in various environments. S. apiospermum is the most common cause of pulmonary infection; however, invasive diseases are usually limited to patients with immunodeficiency.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 54-year-old Chinese non-smoker female patient with normal lung structure and function was diagnosed with pulmonary S. apiospermum infection by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). The patient was admitted to the hospital after experiencing intermittent right chest pain for 8 months. Chest computed tomography revealed a thick-walled cavity in the upper lobe of the right lung with mild soft tissue enhancement. S. apiospermum was detected by the mNGS of BALF, and DNA sequencing reads were 426. Following treatment with voriconazole (300 mg q12h d1; 200 mg q12h d2-d20), there was no improvement in chest imaging, and a thoracoscopic right upper lobectomy was performed. Postoperative pathological results observed silver staining and PAS-positive oval spores in the alveolar septum, bronchiolar wall, and alveolar cavity, and fungal infection was considered. The patient's symptoms improved; the patient continued voriconazole for 2 months after surgery. No signs of radiological progression or recurrence were observed at the 10-month postoperative follow-up.
CONCLUSION
This case report indicates that S. apiospermum infection can occur in immunocompetent individuals and that the mNGS of BALF can assist in its diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, the combined therapy of antifungal drugs and surgery exhibits a potent effect on the disease.
Topics: Humans; Female; Middle Aged; Scedosporium; Voriconazole; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Antifungal Agents; Lung; Pneumonia; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
PubMed: 38481149
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09140-3 -
Internal Medicine (Tokyo, Japan) May 2024Scedosporium/Lomentospora infections are rare and are associated with a high mortality rate in immunocompromised patients. A 69-year-old man with nontuberculous...
Scedosporium/Lomentospora infections are rare and are associated with a high mortality rate in immunocompromised patients. A 69-year-old man with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) died during induction chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia because of multiple organ failure due to pneumonia. During an autopsy, Lomentospora prolificans was detected using a fungal gene analysis of the blood, lungs, spleen, kidneys, and intestines, and Scedosporium aurantiacum was detected in the lungs. NTM disease may predispose patients to Scedosporium/Lomentospora infections. Physicians should consider Scedosporium/Lomentospora spp. as an invasive fungal infection that occurs during myelosuppression, particularly when NTM is a complication.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Male; Scedosporium; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous; Fatal Outcome; Induction Chemotherapy; Immunocompromised Host; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria; Mycoses
PubMed: 37839883
DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.2159-23 -
Medical Mycology Case Reports Dec 2023is a saprophytic filamentous fungus that is pathogenic to dogs. This report describes a case of infection that caused multiple large peritoneal fungal granulomas in a...
is a saprophytic filamentous fungus that is pathogenic to dogs. This report describes a case of infection that caused multiple large peritoneal fungal granulomas in a dog with a history of jejunojejunostomy. The lesions were firmly attached to multiple organs and could not be surgically removed. In such cases, no precedent for the response to the treatment of this disease exists, and all affected dogs have died. This is the first report of an effective medical treatment for multiple intra-abdominal fungal granulomas using voriconazole.
PubMed: 37808222
DOI: 10.1016/j.mmcr.2023.100611 -
Cureus Aug 2023The fungal pathogen is a ubiquitous opportunistic pathogen found in soil and water that can cause severe infection in hosts with impaired immunity. Patients with...
The fungal pathogen is a ubiquitous opportunistic pathogen found in soil and water that can cause severe infection in hosts with impaired immunity. Patients with systemic autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are already at risk for infections given their altered immunity. This can be exacerbated further in patients taking immune-suppressing medications to control their disease status. Here, we present a case of a rare and challenging clinical scenario of a woman with refractory multi-organ SLE on steroids who developed neurologic deficits found to have a brain abscess caused by a unique fungal etiology.
PubMed: 37593068
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.43575