Breakthrough Hormographiella aspergillata infections arising in neutropenic patients treated empirically with caspofungin

J Clin Microbiol. 2011 Jan;49(1):461-5. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01213-10. Epub 2010 Nov 10.

Abstract

Hormographiella aspergillata, a filamentous basidiomycete, has rarely been involved in human infections. We describe 2 febrile neutropenic patients who developed a severe pulmonary infection due to H. aspergillata while receiving empirical caspofungin therapy for presumed fungal pneumonia. After introduction of liposomal amphotericin B, one patient, who had neutrophil recovery, presented a favorable outcome, while the other, who remained neutropenic throughout the course of infection, died. Resistant fungi, including basidiomycetes, may emerge during empirical treatment with caspofungin in febrile neutropenic patients. A rapid switch to any other potent antifungal should be rapidly considered in case of failure of caspofungin in this setting.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Amphotericin B / therapeutic use
  • Antifungal Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Basidiomycota / classification
  • Basidiomycota / genetics
  • Basidiomycota / isolation & purification*
  • Caspofungin
  • DNA, Fungal / chemistry
  • DNA, Fungal / genetics
  • Echinocandins / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • Fever of Unknown Origin / drug therapy*
  • Fungi
  • Humans
  • Lipopeptides
  • Lung Diseases, Fungal / drug therapy*
  • Male
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mycoses / diagnosis*
  • Mycoses / microbiology
  • Neutropenia / drug therapy*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • DNA, Fungal
  • Echinocandins
  • Lipopeptides
  • liposomal amphotericin B
  • Amphotericin B
  • Caspofungin

Associated data

  • GENBANK/GQ131575
  • GENBANK/HQ433353