Trichosporon beigelii, an emerging pathogen resistant to amphotericin B

J Clin Microbiol. 1990 Jul;28(7):1616-22. doi: 10.1128/jcm.28.7.1616-1622.1990.

Abstract

Trichosporon beigelii caused fatal disseminated infections that were resistant to amphotericin B in two granulocytopenic patients. In vitro susceptibility studies demonstrated that both index strains of T. beigelii were inhibited but not killed by amphotericin B at achievable concentrations in serum. The minimum lethal concentration for both isolates was greater than or equal to 18 micrograms/ml. Five of seven other isolates were found to have a similar pattern of amphotericin B resistance. The fact that the minimum lethal concentration of T. beigelii was many times greater than its MIC was consistent with a resistance pattern of tolerance. We concluded that T. beigelii may be resistant in vitro to amphotericin B and that this in vitro resistance was correlated with refractory, disseminated trichosporonosis in granulocytopenic patients. T. beigelii should be included in the expanding list of amphotericin B-resistant fungi.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Aged
  • Agranulocytosis / complications
  • Amphotericin B / pharmacology*
  • Anemia, Aplastic / complications
  • Drug Resistance, Microbial
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Mitosporic Fungi / drug effects*
  • Mycoses / complications
  • Mycoses / drug therapy*
  • Opportunistic Infections / complications
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / complications
  • Trichosporon / drug effects*
  • Trichosporon / pathogenicity

Substances

  • Amphotericin B