Breakthrough Scedosporium apiospermum (Pseudallescheria boydii) brain abscess during therapy for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis following high-risk allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Scedosporiasis and recent advances in antifungal therapy. uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Systemic scedosporiasis due to the anamorph or asexual form Scedosporium apiospermum (Pseudallescheria boydii) has become an important cause of opportunistic mycosis, especially in patients undergoing high-risk hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We report a case of rapidly progressive cerebellar hyalohyphomycosis due to Scedosporium apiospermum in an allogeneic marrow graft recipient receiving treatment for severe graft-versus-host disease. This fatal breakthrough intracranial abscess, due to amphotericin B-resistant (minimum inhibitory concentration > 16 micro g/ml) mold, developed during the course of systemic antifungal therapy given for multicentric pulmonary aspergillosis. Despite treatment with high-dose Abelcet (10 mg/kg daily), free amphotericin B was not detected in postmortem cerebellar tissue. A broad-spectrum triazole-based agent (voriconazole/UK-109, 496--Vfend), and a novel fungal cell wall inhibitor, an echinocandin/pneumocandin analog (caspofungin/MK-0991--Cancidas), which exhibit excellent in vitro activity against most clinical Pseudallescheria boydii-Scedosporium apiospermum isolates, have recently become available in the United States and may provide much needed treatment options for patients at risk.

publication date

  • December 1, 2002

Research

keywords

  • Aspergillosis, Allergic Bronchopulmonary
  • Brain Abscess
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
  • Mycetoma
  • Scedosporium

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0036966314

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1034/j.1399-3062.2002.02008.x

PubMed ID

  • 12535265

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 4

issue

  • 4