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Purpose: Candida induced spondylodiscitis of the cervical spine in immunocompetent patients is an extremely rare infectious complication. Since clinical symptoms might be nonspecific, therapeutic latency can lead to permanent spinal cord damage, sepsis and fatal complications. Surgical debridement is strongly recommended but there is no standard antimycotic regime for postsurgical treatment. This paper summarizes available data and demonstrates another successfully treated case., Methods: The systematic analysis was performed according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed and Web of Science were scanned to identify English language articles. Additionally, the authors describe the case of a 60-year-old male patient who presented with a Candida albicans induced cervical spondylodiscitis after an edematous pancreatitis and C. albicans sepsis. Anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion of C4-C6, additional anterior plating, as well as posterior stabilization C3-Th1 was followed by a 6-month antimycotic therapy. There was neither funding nor conflict of interests., Results: A systematic literature analysis was conducted and 4599 articles on spondylodiscitis were scanned. Only four cases were found reporting about a C. albicans spondylodiscitis in a non-immunocompromised patient. So far, our patient was followed up for 2 years. Until now, he shows free of symptoms and infection parameters. Standard testing for immunodeficiency showed no positive results., Conclusion: Candida albicans spondylodiscitis of the cervical spine presents a potentially life-threatening disease. To our knowledge, this is the fifth case in literature that describes the treatment of C. albicans spondylodiscitis in an immunocompetent patient. Surgical debridement has to be considered, following antimycotic regime recommendations vary in pharmaceutical agents and treatment duration.

The presence of fungus balls within the collecting system is an important clue to the radiological diagnosis of genitourinary candidiasis. In this report, an 8-month-old infant with this opportunistic infection is described. Emphasis is placed on the radiological findings of renal candidiasis, including previously unreported MR appearances. Sonographic and Doppler findings of accompanying Candida epididymitis are also described.

We report the radiological features of fungal typhlitis, a complication of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, in a child. Colonic dilatation, intramural gas and a tumour-like filling defect in the caecum were demonstrated on ultrasound and contrast enema.

Liver candidiasis is characterised by small abscesses spread throughout the organ at random. These lesions may be identified sonographically. In the active phase of the disease, hepatomegaly is seen together with the "wheel in wheel" phenomenon, the "wagon wheel" appearance and/or the "bull's eye" lesion. Later on, hypoechoic defects develop. When the echogenic foci are revealed, the healing phase is initiated. These manifestations are demonstrated in 4 pediatric oncology patients. The sonographic patterns as well as its differential diagnosis from primary liver tumors, metastatic infiltrations or other abscess formations are discussed.

Twenty-seven Nigerian infants with osteomyelitis during the first 28 days of life are presented to highlight the severity of the clinical manifestations and the radiological features of this infection. The clinical signs include limitation of movement of the extremities involved and localized swelling. Severe constitutional changes such as fever (greater than 39 degrees C) and abdominal distension were common. This contrasts with results from North America and Europe which emphasize the paucity of clinical signs despite involvement of multiple sites. Multiple site involvement was encountered in only eight cases. Staphylococcus aureus, proteus mirabilis and candida albicans were the main pathogens isolated. The long bones were more frequently affected. Aggressive bone destruction was a constant radiological finding peculiar to staphylococcal osteomyelitis while the formation of sequestrum, a rare occurrence in the newborn, was present in six patients. The mortality rate was 7.4% and the morbidity rate was equally low.

A three year old child who had been suffering from oral candidiasis since the age of 1 year presented with osteitis of the clavicle, 2 cerebral frontal abscesses and an occipital abscess which extended across the calvaria and was associated with osteolysis. Histological and microbiological studies following surgery confirmed the diagnosis of candidiasis in this girl who was found to have IgA immunodeficiency. The authors report the computed tomographic appearance of the cerebral lesions and review the literature.

When candidiasis involves the esophagus, it usually does so as an extensive and diffuse infection. In our experience, however, esophageal candidiasis in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is clinically distinct from the same infection in patients with other immunodeficiency states. Of 25 patients with AIDS and esophageal candidiasis studied radiographically, 4 patients with localized involvement of the esophagus are presented. The clinical and radiologic manifestations of focal esophageal candidiasis in these patients are reviewed and compared to previously described cases of esophageal candidiasis.

Candidiasis of the esophagus progressing to hard fibrosed strictures of the esophagus in 2 patients is reported. Both patients had deficient immunologic systems and received extended courses of broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy for control of sepsis. The strictures were progressive despite adequate antifungal therapy and several attempts at dilatations and necessitated visceral esophageal substitution as definitive surgical therapy.

Fusiform swelling of the spinal cord was noted myelographically in a patient with Hodgkin's disease. Autopsy revealed that the swelling was caused by Candida infection of the spinal cord. It is suggested that fungal infection be included in the differential diagnosis of spinal cord swelling in the immunosuppressed cancer patient.

Esophageal candidiasis may rarely progress to stricture formation. All patients reported to date with stricture due to candidiasis have had an underlying immunologic deficiency or were undergoing chemotherapy for malignancies. Early diagnosis and adequate anti-fungal therapy are recommended to prevent this disabling complication.

The CT features of a young female patient suffering from systemic candidiasis with intracerebral manifestation are reported. The definite diagnosis was made by spinal fluid cultures. The diffuse granulomatous lesions as well as an abscess formation remitted after specific therapy with 5-fluorocytosine and amphotericin B for now more than 1 year. In contrast to reports of other cases with mycosis of the central nervous system this case of candidiasis shows lesions of primarily increased attenuation coefficients.

Newer cytotoxic and immunosuppressive agents and more aggressive oncologic treatment protocols have resulted in an increased incidence of opportunistic infections in the immunocompromised host. Clinical symptoms and laboratory data are often nonspecific and definitive diagnosis may be difficult to establish. The role of CT in the detection, diagnosis, management, and follow-up of various hepatic opportunistic infections in 9 immunocompromised hosts is presented. In 5 of 6 patients, CT-guided needle aspiration resulted in definitive diagnosis. In 3 patients, surgical intervention was obviated by abscess drainage using CT guidance. There is clearly a role for CT not only in the detection but also in the definitive diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of abscesses in the immunocompromised host.

A case of invasive gastric candidiasis is reported. The frequency and importance of Candida sp. as a gastric pathogen is reviewed.