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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 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Nov 2023Scedosporium aurianticum infection developed in 2 recipients of kidney transplants in India, acquired from the same deceased near-drowning donor. Given the substantial...
Scedosporium aurianticum infection developed in 2 recipients of kidney transplants in India, acquired from the same deceased near-drowning donor. Given the substantial risk for death associated with Scedosporium infection among solid-organ transplant recipients, safety protocols for organ transplantation from nearly drowned donors should be thoroughly revaluated and refined.
Topics: Humans; Kidney Transplantation; Near Drowning; Tissue Donors; Organ Transplantation
PubMed: 37877682
DOI: 10.3201/eid2911.231000 -
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 -
Cureus Sep 2023() is an increasingly prevalent and treatment-resistant opportunistic fungus. The pathogen is known to cause a variety of clinical manifestations ranging from localized...
() is an increasingly prevalent and treatment-resistant opportunistic fungus. The pathogen is known to cause a variety of clinical manifestations ranging from localized cutaneous disease to disseminated systemic infection. Herein we present an otherwise healthy 41-year-old male with biopsy-proven cutaneous infection. The patient experienced drastic clinical improvement on two months of a combination of oral itraconazole and oral minocycline. exhibits resistance to many antifungal agents, thus, single-agent antifungal therapy has a high failure rate and often results in the need for surgical excision or debridement. Recent accounts suggest that minocycline in combination with azole antifungals has a synergistic effect in treating . This case highlights the excellent response to combination oral therapies with minocycline and itraconazole. Prompt and efficacious treatment reduces the risk of destructive or disseminated disease and may avoid the need for surgical intervention.
PubMed: 37809133
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.44738 -
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 -
Revista Espanola de Quimioterapia :... Dec 2023
Topics: Humans; Scedosporium; Antifungal Agents; Uveitis; Early Diagnosis
PubMed: 37782246
DOI: 10.37201/req/064.2023 -
Microorganisms Aug 2023For decades, researchers have focused on containing terrestrial oil pollution. The heterogeneity of soils, with immense microbial diversity, inspires them to transform...
For decades, researchers have focused on containing terrestrial oil pollution. The heterogeneity of soils, with immense microbial diversity, inspires them to transform pollutants and find cost-effective bioremediation methods. In this study, the mycoremediation potentials of five filamentous fungi isolated from polluted soils in Kazakhstan were investigated for their degradability of -alkanes and branched-chain alkanes as sole carbon and energy sources. Dry weight estimation and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) monitored the growth and the changes in the metabolic profile during degradation, respectively. SBUG-M1741 and SBUG-M1742 oxidized medium-chain alkanes almost completely through mono- and di-terminal degradation. Pristane degradation by SBUG-M1741 was >95%, while its degradation with SBUG-M1751 was >90%. SBUG-M1751 also exhibited the visible degradation potential of tetradecane and phytane, whereby in the transformation of phytane, both the mono- and di-terminal degradation pathways as well as α- and ß-oxidation steps could be described. SBUG-M1749 used both mono- and di-terminal degradation pathways for -alkanes, but with poor growth. Degradation of pristane by SBUG-M1747 followed the di-terminal oxidation mechanism, resulting in one dicarboxylic acid. These findings highlight the role of filamentous fungi in containing oil pollution and suggest possible degradation pathways.
PubMed: 37764039
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11092195 -
Cureus Aug 2023sinusitis is an opportunistic fungal infection that is difficult to treat due to its inherent resistance to many antifungal agents. Infections may cause both localized...
sinusitis is an opportunistic fungal infection that is difficult to treat due to its inherent resistance to many antifungal agents. Infections may cause both localized or disseminated disease usually in skin and soft tissues. Immunocompetent persons are typically unaffected and disseminated disease occurs in immunocompromised hosts. is a common hyaline mold causing sinopulmonary disease in those with hematologic malignancies and neutropenia. A 38-year-old Caucasian male with a medical history significant for HIV with intermittent treatment compliance, high-grade diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) on chemotherapy, and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) presented with right-sided facial pain and fever. Maxillofacial computed tomography (CT) showed thickening and opacification of the sphenoid and maxillary sinuses concerning for fungal sinusitis. Endoscopic transsphenoidal debridement showed fungal growth of and the patient's blood cultures were ultimately negative. The patient underwent debridement of fungal sinusitis as well as right medial maxillectomy and ethmoidectomy. A three-month course of voriconazole was started and completed with weekly liver enzyme tests to monitor medication side effects. He has since been observed well as an outpatient with his oncologist after three months loss to follow-up and his infection has resolved.
PubMed: 37711912
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.43475 -
Advanced Biomedical Research 2023Opportunistic fungi are a constantly evolving group of pathogens that become active when the immune system is compromised, begin to multiply, and soon overwhelm the...
BACKGROUND
Opportunistic fungi are a constantly evolving group of pathogens that become active when the immune system is compromised, begin to multiply, and soon overwhelm the weakened immune system. This study was performed to evaluate the number of opportunistic fungi in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples of patients with pulmonary diseases.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
After receiving patients' consent and demographic forms, a total of 120 BAL samples were taken by a pulmonary physician. The etiologic agents were identified by standard morphological and molecular methods. Yeast cells were counted on culture media, and direct smears were precisely examined for the presence of yeasts elements, , and filamentous fungi.
RESULTS
In this study, 29 (24.1%) patients showed positive direct smears for yeast elements in their BAL samples. The mean colony count of yeasts was 42,000 (CFU/mL) on culture media. Six (5%) species of filamentous fungi, including three (2.5%) isolates of species (, and ), two (1.67%) species ( and ), 1 case (0.83%) boydii were detected. Seven cases (5.83%) of cysts were observed in the direct smears stained with Giemsa. Identification of all fungi confirmed by molecular or sequencing methods.
CONCLUSIONS
Due to the presence of a large number of fungi in the BAL samples and possible physical interference with the selected drugs for treatment, we draw the attention of pulmonologists to this important issue. Rapid diagnosis of fungal infections is essential to optimize treatments and outcomes.
PubMed: 37694245
DOI: 10.4103/abr.abr_297_22 -
Access Microbiology 2023Fungal keratitis is a time-sensitive ocular infection that often requires a high index of suspicion followed by intensive medical/surgical interventions to achieve a...
Fungal keratitis is a time-sensitive ocular infection that often requires a high index of suspicion followed by intensive medical/surgical interventions to achieve a successful clinical outcome. COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions, necessitated the modification of conventional protocols and guidelines associated with the treatment of keratomycosis. We report four cases of atypical fungal keratitis with poorly differentiated clinical characteristics. The challenges faced during their management were (1) the dilemma of clinically differentiating fungal () and bacterial keratitis; (2) treatment of and keratitis with natamycin monotherapy; (3) mixed infection of and and continuing medications before rescraping the corneal ulcer against the recommended treatment guidelines; (4) phenotypic identification and differentiation among morphologically resembling fungi; and (5) decision making arising out of disparities between KOH and fungal culture results. Three patients responded well to conservative treatments. The fourth patient underwent therapeutic keratoplasty but was lost to follow-up due to travelrelated pandemic restrictions. This case series seeks to broaden the clinician's knowledge of rare and emerging moulds as presumptive aetiologies of keratomycosis. It also intends to emphasize the significance of early microbiological investigations, (direct microscopy and culture), in resource-limited settings, for initiating empirical treatment for a better visual prognosis.
PubMed: 37691845
DOI: 10.1099/acmi.0.000570.v3