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Fusariosis in a Patient with Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

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Abstract

Fusarium spp. causes infections mostly in patients with prolonged neutropenia. We describe the case of a disseminated Fusarium solani infection in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia which never reached complete remission during its clinical course. The patient had profound neutropenia and developed skin nodules and pneumonia in spite of posaconazole prophylaxis. F. solani was isolated from blood and skin biopsy, being identified from its morphology and by molecular methods. By broth dilution method, the strain was resistant to azoles, including voriconazole and posaconazole, and to echinocandins. MIC to amphotericin B was 4 mg/L. The patient initially seemed to benefit from therapy with voriconazole and amphotericin B, but, neutropenia perduring, his clinical condition deteriorated with fatal outcome. All efforts should be made to determine the correct diagnosis as soon as possible in a neutropenic patient and to treat this infection in a timely way, assuming pathogen susceptibility while tests of antimicrobial susceptibility are pending. A review of the most recent literature on invasive fungal infections is reported.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of DETO, University of Bari, Bari, Italy

    Mario Delia, Lidia Dalfino, Domenico Pastore & Giorgina Specchia

  2. Department SMBNOS, University of Bari, Bari, Italy

    Rosa Monno, Carmen Capolongo & Carla Calia

  3. Department DIM, University of Bari, Bari, Italy

    Giorgia Giannelli & Amato Antonio Stabile Ianora

  4. Department of Biomedical Science for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Annamaria Tortorano

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  1. Mario Delia
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  2. Rosa Monno
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  3. Giorgia Giannelli
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Correspondence to Rosa Monno.

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Delia, M., Monno, R., Giannelli, G. et al. Fusariosis in a Patient with Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. Mycopathologia 181, 457–463 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-016-9987-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-016-9987-5

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