Central nervous system infections in transplant recipients by Cladophialophora bantiana

South Med J. 2008 Mar;101(3):292-6. doi: 10.1097/SMJ.0b013e318164e289.

Abstract

Cladophialophora bantiana, a dematiaceous fungus, is an uncommon pathogenic organism originally thought to more commonly affect immunocompetent patients. Increasing numbers of reports, however, describe the organism affecting immunocompromised patients. Like all dematiaceous fungi, Cladophialophora can be recognized in histopathologic sections by the golden-brown coloration in the walls of the hyphae. Of all the dematiaceous fungi, Cladophialophora bantiana demonstrates the most neurotropism, which is responsible for increasing recognition of this fungus as the causative agent in brain abscesses in transplant patients. We describe one patient with a liver transplant and another with a double lung transplant, both of whom developed cerebral abscesses caused by this organism, and review the reported literature.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Ascomycota / cytology
  • Ascomycota / pathogenicity*
  • Brain Abscess / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain Abscess / microbiology*
  • Brain Abscess / pathology
  • Central Nervous System Fungal Infections / drug therapy
  • Central Nervous System Fungal Infections / microbiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunocompromised Host*
  • Radiography
  • Transplantation Conditioning / adverse effects
  • Transplants / adverse effects*
  • Transplants / microbiology