Invasive infections due to Candida krusei: report of ten cases of fungemia that include three cases of endophthalmitis.

Candida krusei has become an increasingly important invasive pathogen, particularly in immunocompromised patients. Previous experimental and clinical experience suggest that C. krusei has a low propensity for hematogenously infecting the eye. We report 10 cases of fungemia due to C. krusei at our institutions, including three cases of endophthalmitis due to C. krusei. Fungemia was associated with nodular skin lesions in all seven patients with neutropenia and occurred despite administration of antifungal prophylaxis or empirical therapy. None of the patients apparently died as a direct result of C. krusei fungemia. Treatment with amphotericin B resulted in resolution of endophthalmitis, although one patient required vitrectomy. Early institution of aggressive therapy with amphotericin B may alter the course and improve the prognosis of C. krusei infection, particularly in immunocompromised patients.     

Serologic tests in the diagnosis of systemic candidiasis. Enhanced diagnostic accuracy with crossed immunoelectrophoreses.

In order to assess the diagnostic value of serologic methods in discriminating between colonization and disseminated infection with Candida species, serum samples from 201 consecutive patients receiving parenteral hyperallmentation were examined for the presence of agglutinating and precipitating antibodies to Candida albicans. In these patients, fungal colonization was detected in 50 per cent, transient fungemia in 6 per cent and disseminated candidlasis in 2.5 per cent. Agglutinating antibodies were of no diagnostic value in separating patients with Candida colonization from those with disseminated infection (sensitivity ? 75 per cent, predictive value ? 20 per cent). Serum Candida precipitins were detected by double immunodiffusion (DID) in all five patients with systemic candidiasis (100 per cent sensitivity); however, since only five of 53 patients with precipitins detected by DID demonstrated evidence of systemic candidiasis, the predictive value of the test was unacceptably low (9 per cent). When the serums which were positive by DID were submitted to crossed immunoelectrophoresis (XIE), precipitin bands to antigens other than mannan were obtained in only nine patients, including all five patients with disseminated candidiasis. Thus, detection by XIE of serum Candida precipitins directed against antigens other than mannan was associated with a predictive value of 56 per cent and a sensitivity of 100 per cent. The detection of serum Candida precipitins by DID is a sensitive screening test in patients at high risk for the development of systemic candidiasis; patients with persistently negative precipitins by DID are unlikely to harbor disseminated candidiasis. If precipitin bands are detected by XIE to antigens other than mannan, there is a high likelihood that the patient has disseminated or invasive Candida infection.     

Vascular catheter-associated fungemia in patients with cancer: analysis of 155 episodes.

We reviewed all 155 episodes of central venous catheter-associated fungemia among inpatients at the National Cancer Institute during a 10-year period. Candida species accounted for 98% of episodes. Fungemia was documented by culture of blood drawn through catheters in 50% of cases and by culture of both catheter-drawn and peripheral blood in 39%; mortality and the rate of dissemination were similar for these two groups. Four management strategies were used: catheter removal, antifungal therapy (with amphotericin B), both, or neither; indications for the use of both modes of treatment included fever, neutropenia, long-term indwelling catheterization, positive cultures of both catheter-drawn and peripheral blood, isolation of Candida tropicalis, and fungal isolation from two or more blood cultures. Disseminated fungal infection was documented in 82% of cases with these features but also in 35% of the less severe cases treated only with catheter removal. In addition, nine (82%) of 11 cases managed only with antifungal therapy had a negative outcome (either death from disseminated infection or the recurrence of fevers and/or fungemia), a finding suggesting that intravascular catheters should be removed in fungemia. Virtually all cases of catheter-associated fungemia in patients with cancer are clinically significant and require prompt therapy with amphotericin B.     

Histoplasmosis in immunosuppressed patients.

Infection with Histoplasma capsulatum in 58 patients whose immune responses were suppressed (Immunosuppressed patients) (16 from the present series and 42 described previously) was analyzed. The most common underlying diseases were Hodgkin's disease (29 per cent), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (19 per cent) and acute lymphocytic leukemia (17 per cent). Sixty-three per cent of the patients had received cytotoxic drugs, and 57 per cent had taken corticosteroids. Widely disseminated infection occurred in 88 per cent of the patients, with predominant involvement of lungs and organs of the reticuloendothelial system. Localized pulmonary infection was present in the remaining patients. The most useful diagnostic method was bone marrow biopsy with microscopic examination for the intracellular yeast form of H. capsulatum. Biopsy of oral lesions, lung, liver and lymph node also proved diagnostically helpful. Growth of H. capsulatum in culture was frequently too slow to be beneficial in diagnosing histoplasmosis in ill patients. Serologic methods were of little diagnostic help in this population of immunosuppressed patients. The response to amphotericin B therapy was excellent (6.7 per cent mortality rate) in those patients in whom the diagnosis was established early and in whom a full course of antifungal therapy could be given. In contrast, the mortality rate in patients who received no antifungal therapy or less than 1 g of amphotericin B was 100 per cent.     

15例真菌败血症的回顾性研究

目的：探讨真菌败血症的治疗及早期诊断,以改善预后。方法：结合文献复习,回顾性研究1992年8月－2000年月间的15例真菌败血症患者的临床特征,治疗效果及预后,结果：15例中,除1例为社区获得性感染外,14例为医院获得性感染,后者首次阳性血培养前的住院时间7d-12个月,中位数为1．5个月。易感危险因素中,以严重基础疾病（10例／15例）使用广谱抗生素（14例／15例）、应用糖皮质激素或化疗药物（11例／15例）的因素最为突出,少数（4例／15例）有中性粒细胞减少。而具有上述两种以上易感危险因素者达11例。主要致病菌为念珠菌属包括白色念珠菌和非白色念珠菌属（如热带念珠菌、近平滑念珠菌等）。病死率为53．3％（8／15）,对抗真菌治疗有效的7例中,合并心内膜炎的2例成功地施行了瓣膜赘生物（直径均＞1cm）清除术,结论：本组败血症多发生在机体防御功能明显降低的患者中,主要致病菌为白色念珠菌和非白色念珠菌属,尽可能及早明确诊断和治疗有助于降低病死率。     

Purulent pneumococcal pericarditis. A continuing problem in the antibiotic era

The clinical findings in five patients with purulent pneumococcal pericarditis are presented. Predisposing factors were untreated pneumococcal pneumonia and empyema in three patients and congenital hypogammaglobulinemia in one patient. The three patients, in whom the diagnosis was established by pericardiocentesis, recovered without sequelae after surgical drainage of the pericardium and systemic antibiotic therapy. The two remaining patients had unsuspected purulent pericarditis demonstrated postmortem.A review of 113 cases of purulent pneumococcal pericarditis since 1900 was made. A preceding pneumonia was present in 93.1 per cent of the patients; 66.6 per cent had pneumonia with empyema. Signs frequently associated with pericarditis such as a pericardial friction rub, pulsus paradoxus and an enlarged cardiac silhouette may be absent although circulatory embarrassment exists. Pericardiocentesis is mandatory to establish the diagnosis of purulent pneumococcal pericarditis. Although mortality in untreated patients was 100 per cent, the 10 patients treated with both systemic antibiotics and surgical drainage survived.     

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. A review of 28 cases with emphasis on improved survival and factors influencing prognosis

During a five year period, 28 episodes of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis were documented. The number of cases recognized annually increased during the study period. Clinical and laboratory features of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis were similar to those previously reported; however, mortality was considerably lower (57 per cent). Factors associated with adverse prognosis were increasing hepatic encephalopathy, more than 85 per cent granulocytes in peripheral blood or ascitic fluid, total bilirubin greater than 8 mg/dl and serum albumin less than 2.5 g/dl. Temperature greater than 38 degrees C was associated with increased survival. Infection by enteric organisms was associated with higher mortality than infection by nonenteric organisms. Unexpectedly, patients with bacteremia fared no worse than those whose blood remained sterile. The data suggest that in patients with leukocyte counts greater than 1,000 cells/mm3 and more than 85 per cent granulocytes in their ascitic fluid, the likelihood of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is high. Such patients deserve empiric antibiotic therapy pending the results of appropriate cultures.     

Prospective study of Candida endophthalmitis in hospitalized patients with candidemia

To determine the frequency of endogenous Candida endophthalmitis in patients with candidemia, we prospectively evaluated 32 inpatients with fungemia by weekly indirect ophthalmoscopic examinations. Chorioretinitis compatible with Candida infection was found in 9 (28%) patients. Patient age, sex, underlying diseases, or hospital-acquired factors, such as presence of central venous or Foley catheters, bacteremia, use of multiple antibiotics, hyperalimentation, or surgery, did not distinguish between groups. Groups were also similar in number of sites colonized with yeast and species of Candida recovered. Patients with endophthalmitis tended to have more blood cultures positive for Candida (mean, 4.3) than the patients without endophthalmitis (mean, 2.8), but this trend did not reach statistical significance. Based on these results, we recommend periodic ophthalmoscopic examinations in all patients with documented candidemia.     

Candida albicans endophthalmitis after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in a patient with liver cirrhosis

A 69-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of hepatic failure after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. The diagnosis of urinary tract infection and fungemia due to Candida albicans associated with decompensated liver cirrhosis and renal failure was made. Bilateral endogenous endophthalmitis developed during hospitalization. Candidemia, endophthalmitis and hepatorenal failure improved with intensive therapy. After discharge, endophthalmitis of the left eye relapsed and vitrectomy was performed. Clinicians should be aware that fungemia complicated by endophthalmitis can be caused by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. There might be a risk of such complications among patients with liver cirrhosis in an immunocompromised state.     

Thymic irradiation. An approach to chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Twenty-two patients with active chronic lymphocytic leukemia were treated with thymic irradiation; a full remission was achieved in 14 and a partial response in 7. In a similar group of 28 patients treated with chlorambucil, there were 7 full remissions, 5 partial responses, 6 with white cell control and 10 with no response. Thymic irradiation restored the leukocyte count to normal in 76 per cent of the cases (16 of 21) and the differential in 32 per cent (7 of 22), with complete resolution of lymphadenopathy in 81 per cent (17 of 21), hepatomegaly in 75 per cent (12 of 16), splenomegaly in 76 per cent (11 of 14) and symptoms in 100 per cent (20 of 20). Chlorambucil restored the leukocyte count to normal in 50 per cent (14 of 28) and the differential in 7 per cent (2 of 28), with complete resolution of lymphadenopathy in 43 per cent (9 of 21), hepatomegaly in 43 per cent (9 of 21), splenomegaly in 24 per cent (4 of 22) and symptoms in 64 per cent (16 of 25). Thymic irradiation produced a more rapid response even in patients resistant to chemotherapy and was more effective (11 of 12 or 92 per cent) than chlorambucil (7 of 22 or 33 per cent) in patients with hematocrit readings of less than 30 per cent and/or greater than 75 per cent infiltration of the bone marrow and a leukocyte count of more than 40,000 cells/mm³ and in patients with splenomegaly. Anemia was corrected in all three patients and thrombocytopenia in two of six patients treated with thymic irradiation. Chlorambucil corrected anemia in 2 of 11 patients and thrombocytopenia in 2 of 5 patients. Anemia developed in 5 of 17 patients and thrombocytopenia in 4 of 23 patients treated with chlorambucil and in no patients treated with thymic irradiation.     

Candida glabrata and Candida krusei fungemia after high-risk allogeneic marrow transplantation: no adverse effect of low-dose fluconazole prophylaxis on incidence and outcome.

Candidemia is a serious complication in patients following allogeneic blood, marrow, and organ transplantation. Fourteen patients developed nosocomial fungemia among 204 allogeneic marrow transplants performed during 1997-1999. Incidence of hematogenous candidiasis was 6.8 per 100 allogeneic BMT. All 14 had an indwelling central venous catheter (CVC) and fluconazole (100-200 mg daily) was given prophylactically. In 11 (78.5%) neutropenic patients, duration between agranulocytosis and diagnosis of fungemia was (median, +/- s.d.) 10 +/- 8 days. Candida glabrata (53.3%) was the most common yeast species, followed by C. krusei (33.3%), and C. parapsilosis (13.3%). Candida albicans was conspicuously absent. Ten patients (71.4%) had primary transplant-related complication (>2 days) including hemolytic uremic syndrome/thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (HUS/TTP) (n = 5), severe hemorrhagic cystitis (n = 3), and bacteremia (n = 2). Seven (50.0%) patients expired and in three (21.4%) deaths were attributed to fungemia. The impact of a primary transplant-related complication on short-term survival in this setting was not significant (P = 0.07) (HUS/TTP (P > 0.5); neutropenia (P > 0.5); GVHD (P = 0.35)). Removal of CVC did not alter outcome in our group (P > or = 0.5) although in patients with persistent fungemia (>72 h), and those with preceding bacteremia, mortality was significantly higher (P = 0.002). Conventional prognosticators of poor outcome did not adversely effect short-term survival in our transplant recipients with hematogenous candidiasis. The predominance of C. glabrata and C. krusei breakthrough infections was similar to what is seen with high-dose fluconazole (400 mg) prophylaxis, and no adverse effects of low-dose fluconazole in terms of increased incidence of non-susceptible Candida species was seen.     

Treatment of candidemia in critically ill surgical patients with intravenous fluconazole.

Six nonneutropenic, critically ill patients with candidemia who underwent surgery were treated with intravenous fluconazole, a new, nontoxic triazole derivative. The portal of entry for Candida species could be demonstrated for four patients (the peritoneal cavity in two and a central venous catheter in two). There were three cases of fungemia due to Candida albicans; two cases were due to Candida tropicalis, and one case was due to Candida parapsilosis. Fluconazole was administered to these patients for a mean of 20 days at doses ranging from 100 to 200 mg/d. All patients survived and Candida species were eradicated from all sites. The decision to treat patients with proven or suspected systemic candidiasis has been made easier by the development of new, nontoxic antifungal agents.     

The cardiovascular manifestations of the hypereosinophilic syndrome. Prospective study of 26 patients, with review of the literature.

The major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with the hypereosinophilic syndrome is cardiac dysfunction. A review of 65 cases from the literature (historic series) revealed the following cardiovascular manifestations to be most common: dyspnea (60 per cent), signs of congestive heart failure (75 per cent), murmur of mitral regurgitation (49 per cent), cardiomegaly (37 per cent), T wave inversions on electrocardiogram (37 per cent) and pathologic findings of endocardial fibrosis, myocardial inflammation and mural thrombus formation (57 per cent). We have prospectively followed 26 patients with the hypereosinophilic syndrome for up to nine years (average follow-up prospectively was 3.3 years, retrospectively 5.7 years). Common cardiac findings in our 26 patients were dyspnea (42 per cent), chest pain (27 per cent), signs of congestive heart failure (38 per cent), murmur of mitral regurgitation (42 per cent), cardiomegaly (35 per cent) and T wave inversions (35 per cent). Thus, these patients demonstrated cardiovascular manifestations similar to those in the historic series, although the literature review showed a higher incidence of overt congestive heart failure.Of 22 patients having echocardiograms, 55 per cent demonstrated some clinical, roentgenographic or electrocardiographic evidence of cardiac involvement, but 82 per cent had echocardiographic abnormalities. This suggests that the echocardiogram is a sensitive and perhaps early indicator of cardiac involvement in this disease. Common echocardiographic findings included increased left ventricular wall thickness (68 per cent), left ventricular mass (73 per cent) and left atrial size (37 per cent). Prospective echocardiographic follow-up of 18 patients (for up to four and a half years) revealed that seven of eight untreated or inadequately treated patients had increases in left ventricular wall thickness, whereas all 10 adequately treated patients had decreases (eight of 10) or no change (two of 10) in left ventricular wall thickness. This suggests that adequate antihypereosinophilic therapy (with prednisone and/or hydroxyurea) may stabilize and, in some cases, reverse the cardiac manifestations of the hypereosinophilic syndrome.In previous studies, congestive heart failure due to eosinophilic cardiomyopathy has been reported to be very resistant to therapy. In our patients with congestive heart failure, treatment has been almost invariably effective when digitalis and diuretics were combined with adequate antihypereosinophilic therapy.     

Carbenicillin-trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole versus carbenicillin-gentamicin as empiric therapy of infection in granulocytopenic patients: A prospective,randomized, double-blind study

The results of therapy with carbenicillin plus trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (C-T/S) were compared to those obtained with carbenicillin plus gentamicin (C-G) in a prospective double-blind study of empiric antibiotic therapy in granulocytopenic patients. Patients were stratified into two groups: favorable-prognosis, group 1 (carcinoma, lymphoma, multiple myeloma), or unfavorable-prognosis, group 2 (acute leukemia, bone marrow transplantation), based on anticipated duration of granulocytopenia. Over-all, empiric antibiotic trials were more often successful (P = 0.004) in group 1 (55 of 62 patients or 89 per cent) than in group 2 (42 of 64 patients, 66 per cent). Within group 1, there was a favorable outcome in 30 of 32 (94 per cent) C-T/S trials and in 25 of 30 (83 per cent) C-G trials (P = 0.25); within group 2, there was a favorable outcome in 23 of 30 (77 per cent) C-T/S trials and in 19 of 34 (56 per cent) C-G trials (P = 0.14). Combined results in both groups indicated a higher proportion of favorable outcome in C-T/S trials (53 of 62, 85 per cent) than in C-G trials (44 of 64, 69 per cent). Further analysis (Mantel-Haenszel test) showed the over-all difference in outcome to be significant (P = 0.049), but the general applicability of this result may be limited by the rather low incidence of gram-negative bacterial infections in this study. There was no difference between the treatment regimens in antibiotic toxicity, and serious superinfection occurred only in group 2 patients (21 per cent of trials), equally divided between treatment arms. Initial protocol dosing achieved target plasma levels of trimethoprim (3 to 8 μg/ml) or gentamicin (4 to 10 μg/ml) in 57 of 68 (84 per cent) C-T/S trials compared to 21 of 60 (35 per cent) C-G trials.     

Fungemia in a cancer hospital: changing frequency, earlier onset, and results of therapy

Two hundred episodes of fungemia that occurred at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between January 1, 1978, and June 30, 1982, are reviewed and compared with those seen from 1974 through 1977. The total number of episodes of fungemia per year increased by 30.6%, episodes per 100 new lymphoma and solid tumor patients increased by 73% and 95%, respectively, and episodes per 100 new leukemia patients decreased by 50%. Fungemia also occurred earlier during hospitalization, and embolic skin lesions were a common early sign of Candida tropicalis fungemia. Mortality was not significantly different with and without amphotericin B therapy in fungemic patients with leukemia, lymphoma, or aplastic anemia (51 of 70 vs. 21 of 24) or solid tumors (29 of 36 vs. 29 of 43); however, some patients appeared to benefit from combination therapy with amphotericin B and flucytosine. The prevalence of disseminated candidiasis at autopsy was the same in treated (11 of 15) and untreated (8 of 11) patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and aplastic anemia, but it was significantly lower in treated (none of 8) than in untreated (5 of 11) patients with solid tumors.     

Response and relapse rates of candidal esophagitis in HIV-infected patients treated with caspofungin

Caspofungin is a new antifungal drug of the echinocandin class. We analyzed the clinical efficacy of caspofungin (50 mg/day) in the treatment of HIV-infected adults with endoscopically documented Candida esophagitis and enrolled in four clinical trials of caspofungin. Symptoms were evaluated daily; a favorable outcome required complete resolution of all esophageal symptoms assessed at the time of discontinuation of therapy. Relapse was defined as recurrent symptoms during the subsequent 2 weeks. A multivariate logistic regression model was developed to identify potential factors (including severity of symptoms at presentation, CD4(+) cell count on entry, extent of disease [assessed endoscopically at baseline], causative Candida species, duration of therapy [overall and after resolution of symptoms], time on treatment before symptom resolution, and antifungal prophylaxis) that might predict symptomatic relapse in the 2 weeks following completion of therapy. The median CD4(+) lymphocyte count for the entire population was 31/mm(3). Candida albicans was isolated from 109 of 110 patient samples cultured for the pathogen and constituted the sole isolate in 77%. Extensive esophageal involvement was present in 55% of patients at the time of pretreatment endoscopy. The duration of therapy ranged from 7 to 20 days (median, 12 days). Symptoms resolved in 117 of 123 patients (95%; 95% confidence interval, 90-98%) with a median time of ~4 days. Response rates were 43 of 46 (93%) and 70 of 73 (96%) for patients with greater or fewer than 50 CD4(+) cells/mm(3), and 80 of 85 (94%) and 23 of 24 (96%) in infections caused by C. albicans alone or in association with non-albicans isolates, respectively. Symptoms recurred within 2 weeks of stopping caspofungin in 19 of 115 evaluable patients (17%), including 3 of 16 (19%) receiving antifungal prophylaxis. Relapse rates were similar for patients with greater or fewer than 50 CD4(+) cells/mm(3). In this relatively small number of patients, only symptom severity and extent of disease judged endoscopically at baseline were significantly (p < 0.10) associated with early relapse in the multivariate model.     

Candida tropicalis fungemia in a tertiary care hospital

Candida tropicalis is a frequent cause of fungemia in hospitals in Latin America. Candida albicans (33%) was the most frequently isolated species, followed by Candida parapsilosis (27%), and Candida tropicalis (24%) in tertiary care hospital in Brazil. We identified and retrospectively reviewed 27 cases of C. tropicalis fungemia that occurred at Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre from 1996 to 1999. The mean age of the patients was 32 years (range 6 months to 88 years). Eight patients (29.6%) had hematological malignancy, and four (14.8%) had solid tumors. All the patients were taking broad-spectrum antibiotics, including vancomycin for at least 7 days. Antibiotics were given through a central venous catheter for the majority of the patients (77.7%). Relevant risk factors for candidemia in our patients included neutropenia (59.2%), and use of corticosteroids (37.0%) or cytotoxic drugs (40.7%). The onset of fever was the most frequent clinical manifestation (92.5%) of fungemia. Most of the patients (81.4%) were treated with amphotericin B or fluconazole. Overall mortality was 48.1%, and 7 (53.4%) of 13 deaths occurred within 10 days of the detection of candidemia. Results of the in vitro susceptibility testing of nine isolates of C. tropicalis from seven patients did not show resistance to fluconazole and amphotericin B.C. tropicalis presents as an important cause of fungemia in oncological and nononcological patients with central venous catheters taking broad-spectrum antibiotics. Although there was no evidence of resistance of C. tropicalis to amphotericin B and fluconazole, patients treated with antifungal agents presented with a high mortality rate in the hospital setting.     

Isolation of fungi in blood cultures. A review of fungal infections in the western part of Sweden 1970-1982

Relevant data were analysed from 185 patients treated for various diseases in the G?teborg area, Sweden, between 1970 and 1982 and in whom fungi were isolated in blood cultures. The increase in isolations during the first part of the study seemed to coincide with extended use of central venous catheters. However, with greater awareness of factors contributing to yeast colonization, the annual incidence fell during the latter part of the period. A disseminated fungal infection was found in 45% of cases, with a mortality of 58%. 4/42 patients with transient fungemia died; 3 from concomitant bacterial septicemia. The mortality rate was 30% in patients with antimycotic treatment because of disseminated infection. Candida albicans, followed by C. glabrata, were the most commonly isolated strains (70% and 13%, respectively). C. albicans predominated in patients with fungal endophthalmitis (100%) and in neonatal infections (95%).     

Safety and efficacy of itraconazole in prevention of fungal infections in neutropenic patients.

In a non-randomized study the efficacy of itraconazole in preventing fungal infections in neutropenic patients was investigated. Forty-seven patients with acute leukemia or advanced lymphoblastic lymphoma were enrolled. Ninety-two episodes of severe neutropenia after chemotherapy were observed. Mean duration of neutropenia was 24 days. Norfloxacin was administered as prophylaxis against gram-negative infections and itraconazole 200 mg b.i.d. as antifungal prophylaxis. Surveillance cultures of throat, urine, feces and vagina or prepuce were performed regularly. Four patients died, two patients due to heart failure, two patients due to staphylococcal pneumonia. Only in one case Candida albicans was cultured from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. No systemic mycosis or Aspergillus fumigatus pneumonia was documented. In a similar group of patients treated in the preceding 18 months nystatin was used as antifungal prophylaxis. In this group of patients six cases of Aspergillus fumigatus pneumonia, two cases of Candida albicans fungemia and one case of Candida glabrata pneumonia occurred of which six patients died. Itraconazole seems to be effective in preventing fungal infections in neutropenic patients and is well tolerated.     

Fungal empyema thoracis: an emerging clinical entity

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To analyze the clinical spectra, pathogenesis, treatment, outcome, and prognostic factors of fungal empyema thoracis. DESIGN: The medical records of patients with positive fungal cultures from pleural effusions were retrospectively analyzed. SETTING: A university-based tertiary care hospital in Taipei, Taiwan. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 1990 through December 1997, patients diagnosed with fungal empyema were included in this study. The criteria for diagnosis of fungal empyema thoracis were as follows: (1) isolation of a fungal species from the pleural effusion; (2) significant signs of infection, such as fever (body temperature > 38.3 degrees C) and leukocytosis (white blood cell > 10,000/microL); and (3) isolation of the same mold species from pleural effusion on more than one occasion, or from pleural effusion and other specimens such as blood, sputum, or surgical wounds that showed evidence of tissue invasion. RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients with fungal empyema thoracis were included. Their mean age was 54 years (range, 2 weeks to 93 years), and 64% (43 patients) were men. Fifty-seven patients (85%) had various underlying diseases, and 18 (27%) had more than one immunocompromising condition. A total of 73 fungal isolates were recovered from pleural effusion; the most commonly encountered were Candida species (47 isolates, 64%), Torulopsis glabrata (13 isolates, 18%), and Aspergillus species (9 isolates, 12%). Candida albicans (28 isolates) was the most common Candida species, followed by Candida tropicalis (13 isolates). Six patients (9%) had two fungal strains isolated, and 16 (24%) had concomitant bacterial empyema thoracis. Eighteen patients (27%) had concurrent fungemia. Most (56 patients, 84%) cases of fungal empyema thoracis were nosocomial, and many case (43 patients, 64%) were acquired in ICUs. Abdominal disease (20 patients, 30%), especially previous abdominal surgery and GI perforation (12% and 10%, respectively), was the most common cause of fungal empyema thoracis, followed by bronchopulmonary infection (15 patients, 22%) and chest surgery (12 patients, 18%). Forty-nine patients (73%) received systemic antifungal therapy, and 38 (57%) underwent closed drainage therapy. Eleven patients (16%) underwent pleural irrigation with normal saline solution, povidone-iodine solution, or antifungal agents. Six patients (9%) finally received decortication. All patients receiving surgery or pleural irrigation with antifungal agents survived. Despite the aforementioned management, the crude mortality was high (73%). Multivariate analysis showed a significantly increased risk of death in immunocompromised patients (relative risk, 1.58; p < 0.005) and those with respiratory failure (relative risk, 2.31; p < 0.001). Systemic antifungal therapy was associated with a significantly lower risk of death (relative risk, 0.69; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These data imply an increasing incidence of fungal empyema thoracis in recent years and the necessity for aggressive treatment of patients with this disease.