First case of fatal Rhizomucor miehei endocarditis in an immunocompromised patient

Jürgen Benjamin Hagemann; Martina Furitsch; Verena Wais; Donald Bunjes; Grit Walther; Oliver Kurzai; Andreas Essig

doi:10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2020.115106

First case of fatal Rhizomucor miehei endocarditis in an immunocompromised patient

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2020 Oct;98(2):115106. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2020.115106. Epub 2020 Jun 10.

Authors

Jürgen Benjamin Hagemann¹, Martina Furitsch², Verena Wais³, Donald Bunjes³, Grit Walther⁴, Oliver Kurzai⁵, Andreas Essig²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, D-89081 Ulm, Germany. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, D-89081 Ulm, Germany.
³ Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
⁴ National Reference Centre for Invasive Fungal Infections, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany.
⁵ National Reference Centre for Invasive Fungal Infections, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany.; Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.

PMID: 32629298
DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2020.115106

Abstract

Rhizomucor miehei is a cause of bovine mycotic abortion and mastitis and has rarely been described in human disease. Here, we report the first isolation of R. miehei from native mitral valve tissue in a fatal case of endocarditis that substantiates its pathogenic potential. Apart from morphological criteria, molecular methods were a cornerstone for definite diagnosis.

Keywords: Antifungal susceptibility; Endocarditis; Molecular diagnostics; Rhizomucor miehei.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Antifungal Agents / therapeutic use
Endocarditis / diagnosis
Endocarditis / drug therapy
Endocarditis / microbiology*
Fatal Outcome
Humans
Immunocompromised Host*
Male
Mitral Valve / microbiology
Mucormycosis / diagnosis
Mucormycosis / drug therapy
Mucormycosis / microbiology*
Rhizomucor*
Young Adult

Substances

Antifungal Agents

Supplementary concepts

Rhizomucor miehei