Recurrent Candida sepsis with prolonged respiratory failure and severe liver dysfunction

Systemic mycoses, especially pulmonary diseases and septicemia are observed increasingly at intensive care units. Essential risk factors for development of candidosis are the expanded use of antibiotics and immunocompromised patients, caused either as a result of a severe underlying disease or iatrogenically induced after organ transplantation. Candida albicans is the most frequent pathogen in microbiological findings. Blood cultures are only positive in massive fungemia. We report a 50-year-old patient with recurrent Candida-septicemia: rupture of the distal esophagus after dilatation because of cardiac achalasia with mediastinal emphysema and mediastinitis. Severe acute respiratory distress syndrome after aspiration with septic shock and acute renal failure at the beginning. Long-term mechanical ventilation, continuous renal replacement therapy and multifarious antibiotic therapy. Early microbiological samples of several positive blood cultures and bronchoalveolar lavages revealed the presence of Candida albicans. In the further clinical course, detection of Pseudomonas species in bronchoalveolar lavages and Staphylococci as well as Enterococci in a number of positive blood cultures. Later on development of a severe liver dysfunction with test results that showed an intrahepatic cholestasis. Because of coagulation failure commencement of artificial liver support with the MARS-system (molecule adsorbent recirculating system). Decrease of high bilirubin levels was accompanied by improvement of clinical condition of the patient. In the following course, repeated severe systemic infections with phases of septicemia or rather septic shock and detection of Candida in several positive blood cultures and bronchoalveolar lavages. In each case increasing bilirubin levels with signs of intrahepatic cholestasis and each time improvement with antimycotic therapy (voriconazol, caspofungin and fluconazol). The patient showed more and more signs of immunodeficiency in the sequel. The clinical appearance of candidosis is manifold. Systemic Candida infections are frequent in patients with immunodeficiency. A recurrent Candida septicemia with prolonged respiratory failure and severe liver dysfunction in form of cholestatic hepatosis, that improved several times with antimycotic therapy in combination with evidence based intensive care measures and artificial organ support is a comparatively rare event.