Surviving a recurrent Scedosporium prolificans endocarditis: A case report

Scedosporium prolificans have been reported to be resistant to all antifungals including the newer azoles and echinocandins. We report an unusual case of repeated S. prolificans infection of the heart valves in an immunocompetent patient.     

Invasive aspergillosis in near drowning nonneutropenic patient

Invasive aspergillosis in immunosuppressed people has been well documented, but to diagnose and treat in an immunocompetent individual after near drowning, it requires early suspicion and proper empirical treatment. We report a case diagnosed to have invasive aspergillosis with systemic dissemination of the infection to the brain, gluteal muscles, and kidneys after a fall in a chemical tank of a paper manufacturing company. He was ventilated for acute respiratory distress syndrome and managed with antibiotics and vasopressors. Due to nonresolving pneumonia and positive serum galactomannan, trans-tracheal biopsy was performed which confirmed invasive aspergillosis and was treated with antifungals. With the availability of galactomannan assay and better radiological investigative modalities, occurrence of such invasive fungal infections in cases of drowning patients should be considered early in such patients and treated with appropriate antifungals.     

Fusarium: The Versatile Pathogen

Fusarium is an emerging human opportunistic pathogen of growing importance, especially among immunosuppressed haematology patients due to an increased incidence of disseminated infections over the past two decades. This trend is expected only to continue due to the advances in medical and surgical technologies that will prolong the lives of the severely ill, making these patients susceptible to rare opportunistic infections. Production of mycotoxins, enzymes such as proteases, angio-invasive property and an intrinsically resistant nature, makes this genus very difficult to treat. Fusarium is frequently isolated from the cornea and less commonly from nail, skin, blood, tissue, Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) fluid, urine and pleural fluid. Conventional microscopy establishes the genus, but accurate speciation requires multilocus sequence typing with housekeeping genes such as internal transcribed spacer, translation elongation factor-1α and RPB1 and 2 (largest and second largest subunits of RNA polymerase), for which expansive internet databases exist. Identifying pathogenic species is of epidemiological significance, and the treatment includes immune reconstitution by granulocyte–colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte macrophage–colony-stimulating factor and a combination of the most active species – specific antifungals, typically liposomal amphotericin-B and voriconazole. However, patient outcome is difficult to predict even with in vitro susceptibility with these drugs. Therefore, prevention methods and antifungal prophylaxis have to be taken seriously for these vulnerable patients by vigilant healthcare workers. The current available literature on PubMed and Google Scholar using search terms ‘Fusarium’, ‘opportunistic invasive fungi’ and ‘invasive fusariosis’ was summarised for this review.     

新一代三唑类抗真菌药物伏立康唑

通过文献检索综述了伏立康唑的抗菌作用，药代动力学及临床评价，伏立康唑是一种新型的抗真菌，抗菌谱广，抗菌作用强，不良反应少，耐受良好。     

卡泊芬净、伏立康唑序贯疗法与伊曲康唑完整疗程治疗52例恶性血液病患者继发侵袭性真菌感染的疗效比较

 目的 评价卡泊芬净（caspofungin）静脉注射后口服伏立康唑(voriconazole)序贯治疗与伊曲康唑（itraconazole）完整疗程两种不同经验性抗真菌治疗方法在恶性血液病患者中的疗效及安全性。方法 回顾性分析无锡市人民医院2005年1月至2008年4月间52例恶性血液病患者继发侵袭性真菌感染患者根据不同抗真菌治疗方法分成两组,A组（22例）,采用卡泊芬净静注后伏立康唑口服序贯疗法;B组（30例）,采用伊曲康唑完整疗程治疗。观察两组患者的疗效和不良反应。结果 A组的总有效率为81.8%（18/22）,药物相关的不良反应发生率9.1％（2/22）。B组的总有效率63.3％（19/30）,不良反应发生率16.7％（5/30）。两组总有效率均较高,但有显著性差异（P <0.05）,A组不良反应率显著低于B组。结论 二种方案对恶性血液病继发侵袭性真菌感染的患者均有效。卡泊芬净联合伏立康唑疗法比伊曲康唑完整疗程疗法更具有疗效优势,且安全性好,不良事件发生率低。     

Effects of voriconazole on tacrolimus metabolism in a kidney transplant recipient

Infection occurs frequently in the organ transplant recipients during the post-transplant period because of immunosuppression. Therefore, prophylactic antimicrobial agents are often used. The azole antifungals, widely prescribed prophylactically, are known to have many drug–drug interactions. This report presents a case of drug–drug interaction between voriconazole and tacrolimus in a kidney transplant recipient. Voriconazole treatment led to a dramatic increase in tacrolimus concentration that required its discontinuation in spite of the manufacturer's guidelines that recommend a reduction of tacrolimus dosage by one-third. The present drug–drug interaction can be attributed to a strong inhibitory effect on cytochrome P450-3A4 activity by voriconazole. When voriconazole and tacrolimus are coadministered, close monitoring of tacrolimus blood levels is recommended as the rule-of-thumb reduction of tacrolimus dose by one-third may not be satisfactory.     

Accelerated photoaging induced by voriconazole treated with Q-switched Nd:YAG laser: Case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Voriconazole is an antifungal agent mainly used against aspergillosis. Given its wide spectrum of action and limited adverse effects, it has replaced amphotericin B as the drug of choice in the prophylactic treatment of immunocompromised patients. Several adverse effects are caused by this drug with dermatological reactions accounting for 6% of the total. Such reactions include cheilitis, erythema, erosions, discoid lupus erythematosus, erythema multiforme, photosensitivity reactions, pseudoporphyria, accelerated photoaging and skin cancer. There are few reports on the accelerated photoaging caused by voriconazole and its effective treatment.

Here we present the case of a 6-year-old child with a history of chronic granulomatous disease under prolonged treatment with voriconazole, who developed accelerated photoaging lesions secondary to the chronic use of this antifungal agent. Treatment was initiated using Q-switched Nd:YAG laser with good results.     

Phaeohyphomycosis due to Alternaria species in transplant recipients

R.D. Boyce, P.J. Deziel, C.C. Otley, M.P. Wilhelm, A.J. Eid, N.L. Wengenack, R.R. Razonable. Phaeohyphomycosis due to Alternaria species in transplant recipients.
Transpl Infect Dis 2010: 12: 242–250. All rights reserved Abstract: Alternaria species are members of a heterogenous group of dematiaceous fungi that rarely cause opportunistic infections in transplant recipients. During a 20‐year period from 1989 to 2008, 8 solid organ transplant recipients (63% males; median age, 48 years) developed Alternaria species infections at the Mayo Clinic. All patients were highly immunocompromised as evidenced by their receipt of multiple transplants, treatment of acute and chronic allograft rejection, and occurrence of other opportunistic infections. All patients presented with non‐tender erythematous or violaceous skin papules, nodules, or pustules in exposed areas of the extremities. No case of visceral dissemination was observed. Itraconazole was the most common drug used for treatment, although voriconazole, posaconazole, and caspofungin could potentially be useful based on our limited clinical data and in vitro antifungal susceptibility testing. One patient was treated with voriconazole, while another patient who was refractory to itraconazole had rapid resolution of lesions after the addition of caspofungin. Attempts at antifungal therapy alone were unsuccessful; all patients eventually required surgical excision of lesions. In conclusion, Alternaria species are rare but increasingly recognized opportunistic infections among highly immunocompromised transplant recipients. Wide excisional surgery combined with prolonged systemic antifungal therapy and reduction in immunosuppressive regimens provided the best chance of cure. Although itraconazole remains the most common drug for treatment, this case series highlights the potential clinical utility of caspofungin, voriconazole, and posaconazole as alternative regimens.