Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Case Report
  • Published:

Fusarium dimerum infection in a stem cell transplant recipient treated successfully with voriconazole

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 34, pages 815–817 (2004)Cite this article

Summary:

We report the first case, to our knowledge, of a proven Fusarium dimerum soft-tissue infection in a stem cell transplant recipient treated successfully with voriconazole. There is a well-documented increase in the incidence, diversity and antifungal resistance of invasive mould infections in the immunocompromised patient population. The management of these infections is changing as new, more efficacious and less toxic antifungal agents become available. We present the case of a 19-year-old female diagnosed with a proven F. dimerum soft-tissue infection of the foot and possible pulmonary infection with the same organism 10 days following a sibling allogeneic stem cell transplant for severe aplastic anaemia. The infection developed despite treatment with 3 mg/kg AmBisome® for a concurrent chest infection. She was treated successfully with voriconazole.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Marr KA, Carter RA, Crippa F et al. Epidemiology and outcome of mould infections in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Clin Infect Dis 2002; 34: 909–917.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Gupta AK, Baran R, Summerbell RC . Fusarium infections of the skin. Curr Opin Infect Dis 2000; 13: 121–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Jeu L, Piacento FJ, Lyakhovetskiy AG, Fung HB . Voriconazole. Clin Ther 2003; 25: 1321–1381.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Paphitou NI, Ostrosky-Zeichner L, Paetznick VL et al. In vitro activities of investigational triazoles against Fusarium species: effects of inoculum size and incubation time on broth microdilution susceptibility test results. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2002; 46: 3298–3300.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ghannoum MA, Kuhn DM . Voriconazole – better chances for patients with invasive mycoses. Eur J Med Res 2002; 7: 242–256.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Johnson LB, Kauffman CA . Voriconazole: a new triazole antifungal agent. Clin Infect Dis 2003; 36: 630–637.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Ascioglu S, Rex JH, de Pauw B et al. Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer; Mycoses Study Group of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Defining opportunistic invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised patients with cancer and hematopoietic stem cell transplants: an international consensus. Clin Infect Dis 2002; 34: 7–14.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Baden LR, Katz JT, Fishman JA et al. Salvage therapy with voriconazole for invasive fungal infections in patients failing or intolerant to standard antifungal therapy. Transplantation 2003; 76: 1632–1637.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Boutati EI, Anaissie EJ . Fusarium, a significant emerging pathogen in patients with hematologic malignancy: ten years' experience at a cancer center and implications for management. Blood 1997; 90: 999–1008.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Bodey GP, Boktour M, Mays S et al. Skin lesions associated with Fusarium infection. J Am Acad Dermatol 2002; 47: 659–666.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are grateful the haematology ward nurses, medical illustration and radiology department at Royal Free Hospital.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London, UK

    V H Bigley, R F Duarte, R D Gosling, C C Kibbler, S Seaton & M Potter

Authors
  1. V H Bigley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R F Duarte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R D Gosling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. C C Kibbler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. S Seaton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. M Potter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to V H Bigley.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bigley, V., Duarte, R., Gosling, R. et al. Fusarium dimerum infection in a stem cell transplant recipient treated successfully with voriconazole. Bone Marrow Transplant 34, 815–817 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1704660

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1704660

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links