Revista Iberoamericana De Micologia最新文献

Background: Scedosporium species are considered emerging pathogens causing illness in immunocompetent and immunocompromised hosts.

Case report: A case of non-invasive pulmonary (fungal ball) infection by Scedosporium apiospermum complex in a 49-year-old female with bronchiectasis and cavities secondary to tuberculosis is described. The patient had a history of three years of cough and hemoptysis. A computed tomography scan of the thorax revealed the presence of a cavity in the lower lobe of the right lung, associated with bronchiectasis. A combination of surgical debridement and antifungal therapy (voriconazole) was the treatment of choice. Pulmonary resection (right lower lobectomy) was performed, and samples were sent for microbiological culture and histopathological examination; by means of the latter technique, hyphae were shown. The identification of Scedosporium angustum, a phylogenetic species of the S. apiospermum complex, was obtained by amplifying and sequencing the β-tubulin locus. Voriconazole therapy was started at a loading dose of 800mg/12h for the first 24h, followed by 200mg/12h for 6 months. The patient responded favorably to the treatment and remained asymptomatic.

Conclusions: This case emphasizes the importance of considering Scedosporium species in the differential diagnosis of fungal balls by Aspergillus. .

Background: Post-traumatic Fusarium infection is rare. Arterial occlusive disease, a common vascular disorder in the elderly, often leads to ischemic necrosis of the lower extremities, which in turn increases the likelihood of secondary infections. Those secondary infections can be caused by bacteria, virus, or fungi.

Case report: We present the case of a 64-year-old male patient with a co-infection by Fusarium verticillioides and Proteus vulgaris on nails and foot skin, secondary to senile arterial occlusion on the lower extremities. The skin and nails recovered well after following stent implantation and a combination treatment of itraconazole and a macrolide antibiotic. A retrospective analysis of the literature identified 17 patients with Fusarium infection, all of whom were immunocompetent.

Conclusions: Trauma may be a predisposing cause of Fusarium infection. Combination of oral itraconazole and terbinafine, or amphotericin B and surgical means, are all effective treatments.

Background: Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus fumigatus are commonly involved in fungal endophthalmitis. However, other less pathogenic species of the genus are also causal agents of opportunistic infections. Aspergillus hiratsukae, a species within Aspergillus section Fumigati, is an uncommon fungus responsible for a few infectious cases worldwide.

Case report: We present a case of post-surgical endophthalmitis in a man caused by A. hiratsukae after phacoemulsification surgery and intraocular lens implantation. The patient underwent an urgent vitrectomy in which infectious foci were observed. Due to adverse clinical evolution, evisceration was performed five days after admission. In the study of the intraoperative samples fungal growth was observed. Microscopic analysis showed conidial heads resembling Aspergillus species. The final identification of A. hiratsukae was achieved by amplifying and sequencing the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 spacer region. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed using the method described by EUCAST. The isolate exhibited sensitivity to azoles and polyenes.

Conclusions: Due to the morphological similarity of the Aspergillus species, molecular techniques are essential for discriminating among them, as there are different antifungal susceptibility profiles within the same complex. Further studies to improve clinical surveillance, make an early diagnosis and start a targeted therapy are necessary.

Background: Candida species are frequently isolated from the oral cavity of patients with cystic fibrosis. However, the information on the role of Candida in cystic fibrosis is scarce.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, virulence profile and antifungal susceptibility of oral isolates of Candida albicans recovered from patients with cystic fibrosis.

Methods: Oropharyngeal swab samples were collected from sixty-five cystic fibrosis patients and sixty-five healthy individuals. Candida isolates were identified by MALDI-TOF VITEK-MS. Proteinase, phospholipase and esterase activity, biofilm production and level expression of ALS, SAP and PLB genes in C. albicans were evaluated. Minimal inhibitory concentration values were determined by means of an antifungal susceptibility test.

Results: Oral Candida colonization in cystic fibrosis patients was 66.15%, while in healthy individuals was 36.92%. C. albicans was the most frequently isolated species. C. albicans strains from cystic fibrosis patients were high producers of protease and biofilm, and had higher expression levels of adhesin and protease-associated genes in comparison with healthy subjects. Among the C. albicans strains isolated from cystic fibrosis patients, 18.91% were resistant to itraconazole, while 16.21% exhibited resistance to ketoconazole and fluconazole, and only one strain was resistant to voriconazole.

Conclusions: This work represents a surveillance study on virulence patterns and antifungal susceptibility of Candida from the oropharyngeal tract in cystic fibrosis.

Background: Scedosporiasis is an emerging mycosis that has gained importance in recent years due to its worldwide prevalence. It is caused by species of the Scedosporium apiospermum complex. These species can cause opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients and, occasionally, in immunocompetent patients as well. The high intrinsic antifungal resistance make these infections difficult to manage.

Aims: The objective of this study was to interpret the mycological findings in a transplant patient, together with the images obtained in the radiological studies, in order to provide an early and effective antifungal therapy.

Methods: The mycological analysis of samples taken from a heart transplant patient with radiological images suggesting a fungal infection was performed. Computed tomography scan of the head and thorax showed space-occupying lesions in both the frontal lobe and cerebellum, and multiple pulmonary nodules. The nodules were punctured and the samples obtained were analyzed according to the procedures for mycological analysis. The identity of the isolates was confirmed by nucleotide sequencing. Eventually, the antifungal susceptibility was studied.

Results: The fungal isolates obtained, whose identity was confirmed by sequencing, belonged to the species Scedosporium boydii. Injured tissues were surgically removed and a treatment with amphotericin B and voriconazole-minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 0.5μg/mL and ≥0.5μg/mL respectively - was administered.

Conclusions: Although the patient died due to complications of a Klebsiella pneumoniae sepsis refractory to treatment, the progression of the fungal disease, although slow, was favourable in the early phases of the treatment due to a correct diagnosis and the antifungal susceptibility test carried out. Clinical cases of this nature highlight the need to increase the epidemiological study of these microorganisms, as well as the proper treatment of the diseases caused, in order to achieve early diagnoses that reduce the morbidity and mortality of patients.