Septic shock induced by Lecythophora mutabilis in a patient with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy

J Med Microbiol. 2009 Sep;58(Pt 9):1255-1258. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.010678-0. Epub 2009 Jun 15.

Abstract

Invasive fungal infection (IFI) caused by Lecythophora mutabilis occasionally occurs in patients with impaired host immunity; such patients had eosinophilia at onset, and surviving patients were treated with fungal cell-membrane-targeted drugs. An 18-year-old man with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy accompanied with refractory anaemia and chronic renal failure developed septic shock caused by L. mutabilis, which was detected from a blood culture, and was identified morphologically and genetically. During the course of the infection, he had eosinophilia, although beta-d-glucan levels were within the normal range. He was treated with micafungin, but deteriorated and died, despite his treatment being changed to liposomal amphotericin B. On the basis of this we suggest that IFI caused by L. mutabilis should be suspected when a compromised host develops infection and eosinophilia, and that antifungal drugs that target beta-d-glucan are not advisable.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Amphotericin B / therapeutic use
  • Antifungal Agents / therapeutic use
  • Ascomycota / drug effects
  • Ascomycota / isolation & purification*
  • Ascomycota / pathogenicity
  • Echinocandins / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Insomnia, Fatal Familial
  • Lipopeptides / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Micafungin
  • Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathies / complications*
  • Mycoses / complications*
  • Mycoses / drug therapy
  • Mycoses / microbiology*
  • Pneumonia, Aspiration / complications
  • Pneumonia, Aspiration / microbiology
  • Shock, Septic / complications*
  • Shock, Septic / microbiology*

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Echinocandins
  • Lipopeptides
  • liposomal amphotericin B
  • Amphotericin B
  • Micafungin