HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: jmm.0.010678-0v1 58/9/1255    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Google Scholar Articles by Taniguchi, Y. Articles by Masuda, J. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Taniguchi, Y. Articles by Masuda, J. Agricola Articles by Taniguchi, Y. Articles by Masuda, J.

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

¹ Central Clinical Laboratory, Shimane University Hospital, Shimane, Japan

² Division of Blood Transfusion, Shimane University Hospital, Shimane, Japan

³ Department of Pediatrics, Shimane University School of Medicine, Shimane, Japan

⁴ Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan

⁵ Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shimane University School of Medicine, Shimane, Japan

Correspondence
Takeshi Taketani
ttaketani{at}med.shimane-u.ac.jp

Received February 24, 2009
Accepted June 3, 2009

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 β-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 β-D-glucan are not advisable.