Search

Summary: Objectives: Difficult‐to‐treat invasive fungal infections require infectious diseases expert consultation to improve treatment outcome and increase survival rates. Methods: The European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM) intends to provide expert help free of charge by a newly founded ECMM Expert Consultation Service for medical centres around the globe seeking advice when there is no fungal infection consultant available. The expert consult will provide recommendations and broad expertise on difficult‐to‐treat invasive fungal infections (eg azole‐resistant Aspergillus species, Candida auris, mucormycosis) to improve diagnostic and therapeutic management and outcome. Results: The initiative plans global outreach through video conferencing between ECMM Excellence Centers and treating physicians. FungiScope® registries will be used to structure case information and to evaluate the impact of the collegial advice system at regular intervals. Advice will follow recent guidelines, and EQUAL Scores will be used to measure guideline adherence. Conclusions: Infectious diseases expert consultation should be an integral component of care for patients with difficult‐to‐treat invasive fungal infections. The ECMM Expert Consult will attend to this matter on a global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Characteristics and outcome of invasive fungal infection (IFI) in critically ill burn patients have been poorly explored. Objectives: We report the factors associated with 90‐day mortality in a multicentre retrospective European study. Patients/Methods: All burn patients with confirmed IFI admitted between 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2015 in 10 centres in France and Belgium were included. Results: Ninety‐four patients were enrolled with 110 cases of IFIs: 79 (71.8%) were yeasts IFI and 31 (28.2%) filamentous IFI. Incidence was 1% among admitted patients. The 90‐day mortality was 37.2% for all IFIs combined, 52% for filamentous infection and 31.9% for yeast infection. Patients with more than one IFI had a higher 90‐day mortality than patients with only one episode (61.5% vs 33.5% (P =.006)). In multivariate analysis, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (OR = 1.05 (95% CI: 1.02‐1.09) P =.003), bacterial co‐infection (OR = 3.85 (95% CI: 1.23‐12.01), P =.014) and use of skin allografts at the time of IFI diagnosis (OR = 3.87 (95% CI: 1.31‐11.42), P =.021) were associated with 90‐day mortality. Conclusions: Although rare, invasive fungal infections remain associated with poor outcome in burn patients. Bacterial co‐infection and presence of allograft were potentially modifiable factors independently associated with outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A French single‐centre retrospective study between 2010 and 2014 was undertaken to assess candiduria's incidence in kidney transplant recipients (KTR), and the use and impact of antifungal treatment on outcome. Candiduria was defined as a urine culture with ≥103 cfu/mL of Candida species. Candiduria clearance, severe complications and death rates were estimated by Kaplan‐Meier methods and the effect of treatment by Cox models. 52/1223 (4.3%) KTR had ≥1 episode of candiduria, 42 (81%) were females, 18 (35%) had diabetes, with an incidence of 2.3/100 person‐year of follow‐up. Candiduria was asymptomatic in 51 (98%) patients. Candida glabrata was the most frequent pathogen identified. Overall fungal clearance rate was 89%. Antifungal therapy was initiated in only 14 episodes (12%), according to guidelines. Three patients (6%) developed severe complications in the first 2 weeks after transplantation, and 8 (15%) died. Antifungal treatment had no impact on candiduria clearance (HR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.3‐1.1; P = .10), on recurrence rate (HR, 0.5; 95% CI, 0.1‐2.3; P = .41) and on the risk of severe complications or death (HR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.3‐4.8; P = .89). Candiduria is rare and usually asymptomatic among KTR. Candiduria management in the immediate post‐transplant period deserves careful attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given reports showing a high prevalence of azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus, alternatives to azole therapy are discussed when a threshold of 10% of azole-resistant environmental isolates is reached. This raises the issue of calculation of this threshold, either on the prevalence of azole-resistant isolates as a whole or on the prevalence of azole-resistant cases in populations at risk of invasive aspergillosis (IA). For isolate evaluation, there are high disparities in routine microbiological procedures for the isolation of A. fumigatus and azole resistance detection. There are also huge differences between the microbiological work-up for diagnosing IA. Some centres rely on galactomannan detection alone without actively trying to culture appropriate samples, which affects reliability of the figures on the prevalence of resistance and thus the threshold of resistance. Moreover, reports from the laboratory could mix up figures from completely different patient populations: frequent azole-resistant isolates from pneumology patients and rare azole-resistant isolates from haematology patients. Therefore, to sum isolates from different specimens and different wards can lead to erroneous calculations for the restricted populations at risk of developing IA. In conclusion, assessing the incidence of azole resistance in A. fumigatus should be based on harmonized consensual microbiological methods and reports should be restricted to IA episodes in identified populations at risk of IA when the issue is to define an operational threshold for modifying recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Before the advent of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), roughly 50% of cases of invasive aspergillosis (IA) associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection involved individuals without classical predisposing host factors, and the median survival time was <4 months after diagnosis. We examined if the situation evolved over time using the revised European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Mycoses Study Group (EORTC) definition and analyzed survival trends after diagnosis over 20 years. Methods: A data review committee evaluated 342 medical records that mentioned IA in the French Hospital Database on HIV. Validated cases were classified as fulfilling the EORTC criteria or otherwise as "HIV-related IA." Three periods were analyzed: pre-cART (before 1996), cART era prevoriconazole (1996-2001), and 2002-2011. Results: Among 242 validated cases of IA, 124 (51%) fulfilled the EORTC criteria (EORTC-IA) and 118 (49%) were classified as "HIV-related," with similarly low CD4 cell counts in both groups. The proportion of EORTC-IA cases remained stable across the 3 periods (50%, 48%, and 54%, respectively). The 3-month survival rate improved after the advent of cART (38% vs 69%), with no difference between EORTC-IA and HIV-related IA (hazard ratio [HR], 1.2 95% confidence interval [CI] {0.7-1.8}). Voriconazole exposure decreased mortality in 2002-2011 (HR, 0.1 95% CI [0.01-0.8]). Conclusions. In the cART era, EORTC criteria, developed for use in hematology/oncology, still applied to only half the cases diagnosed among HIV-infected patients. A rapid diagnosis of IA is paramount to improve survival. For patients who do not fulfill the EORTC definition, we suggest that the addition of "HIV infected with a CD4 count <100 cells/μL" to the EORTC host criteria be validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe characteristics and outcomes of HIV-infected patients with Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) over 2004–2011 in France, in particular in those previously enrolled (PE) in the French Hospital Database on HIV (FHDH). Methods: PE patients with an incident PCP were compared with patients with an inaugural PCP revealing HIV infection (reference). Adequate adherence to care was defined as a CD4 measurement at least every 6 months. Immune reconstitution (CD4≥200/mm3) and risk of death were studied using Kaplan-Meier estimates and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Results: In a context of a decreasing incidence of PCP, 1259 HIV-infected patients had a PCP diagnosis, and 593 (47%) were PE patients of whom 161 (27%) have had a prior history of AIDS-defining clinical illness (prior ADI). Median time since enrolment was 8 years for PE patients; 74% had received cART. Median proportion of time with adequate adherence to care was 85% (IQR, 66–96) for all FHDH enrollees, but only 45% (IQR, 1–81) for PE patients during the 2 years before PCP. Median CD4 cell count (38/mm3) and HIV viral load (5.2 log10 copies/ml) at PCP diagnosis did not differ between PE patients and the reference group. Three year mortality rate of 25% was observed for PE prior ADI group, higher than in PE non-prior ADI group (8%) and the reference group (9%) (p<0.0001). In the PE prior ADI group, poor prognosis remained even after adjustment for virological control and immune reconstitution (HR, 2.4 [95%CI, 1.5–3.7]). Conclusion: Almost 50% of PCP diagnoses in HIV-infected patients occurred presently in patients already in care, mainly with a previous cART prescription but with waning adherence to care. Having repeated ADI is contributing to the risk of death beyond its impact on immune reconstitution and viral suppression: special efforts must be undertaken to maintain those patients in care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study related to 24-year-old man with Crohn's disease (CD) was admitted to our hospital with a 9-day history of skin rash, severe asymmetric arthralgia, periarticular swelling, and abdominal pain. Topics include the moderately severe, diffuse abdominal pain, and he had no intestinal bleeding, and the physical examination revealed palpable purpura on the legs and arms, swelling of the left hand, and pain on palpation of several joints without signs of arthritis.

Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) are an effective treatment used in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Despite a well-tolerated safety profile, infectious events appear to be frequent in clinical trials. Real-world data on epidemiology, characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes of infections in patients treated with BsAb are still needed. A retrospective, multicentre study in BsAb-treated patients with multiple myeloma was performed in 14 French centres from December 2020 to February 2023. The primary objective was to describe the incidence of infections that required hospitalization, specific treatment, or adaptation in BsAb administration. Among 229 patients with multiple myeloma treated with BsAb, 153 (67%) received teclistamab, 47 (20%) received elranatamab, and 29 (13%) talquetamab. We reported a total of 234 infections, including 123 (53%) of grade of ≥3. Predominant infections affected the respiratory tract (n = 116, 50%) followed by bacteraemias (n = 36, 15%). The hospitalization rate was 56% (n = 131), and 20 (9%) infections resulted in death. Global cumulative incidence of the first infection was 70% in all patients, 73% in patients treated with B-cell maturation antigen-targeting, and 51% with GPRC5D-targeting BsAb. In univariate analyses, corticosteroids for cytokine release syndrome (CRS)/immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) were associated with a higher risk of first infection (HR = 2.13; 95% CI, 1.38–3.28), whereas GPRC5D-targeting BsAb and anti-bacterial prophylaxis were associated with a lower risk (HR = 0.53; 95% CI, 0.3–0.94 and HR = 0.65; 95% CI, 0.46–0.9). Fine and Gray multivariate model found that only corticosteroids for CRS/ICANS were correlated with a higher risk of first infection (HR = 2.01; 95% CI, 1.27–3.19). The implementation of preventive measures that aim to mitigate the risk of infection under BsAb is pivotal, notably in patients who received corticosteroids for CRS/ICANS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2018, yellow fever with hepatitis was diagnosed for 2 unvaccinated travelers returning to France from Brazil. Hepatitis persisted for >6 months; liver enzyme levels again increased 2 months after disease onset with no detection of yellow fever virus RNA or other pathogens. Persistent hepatitis with hepatic cytolysis rebound probably resulted from immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Prospective Multicenter International Surveillance of Azole Resistance in Aspergillus Fumigatus," by J. W. M. van der Linden et al. in a 2015 issue.

Background Early diagnosis and prompt initiation of specific antifungal treatment are essential for improving the prognosis of mucormycosis. We aimed to assess the performance of serum Mucorales quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for the early diagnosis and follow-up of mucormycosis. Methods We prospectively enrolled 232 patients with suspicion of invasive mold disease, evaluated using standard imaging and mycological procedures. Thirteen additional patients with proven or probable mucormycosis were included to analyze DNA load kinetics. Serum samples were collected twice-a-week for Mucorales qPCR tests targeting the Mucorales genera Lichtheimia , Rhizomucor , and Mucor/Rhizopus. Results The sensitivity was 85.2%, specificity 89.8%, and positive and negative likelihood ratios 8.3 and 0.17, respectively in this prospective study. The first Mucorales qPCR-positive serum was observed a median of 4 days (interquartile range [IQR], 0–9) before sampling of the first mycological or histological positive specimen and a median of one day (IQR, −2 to 6) before the first imaging was performed. Negativity of Mucorales qPCR within seven days after liposomal-amphotericin B initiation was associated with an 85% lower 30-day mortality rate (adjusted hazard ratio = 0·15, 95% confidence interval [.03–.73], P  = .02). Conclusions Our study argues for the inclusion of qPCR for the detection of circulating Mucorales DNA for mucormycosis diagnosis and follow-up after treatment initiation. Positive results should be added to the criteria for the consensual definitions from the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium (EORTC/MSGERC), as already done for Aspergillus PCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Hepatosplenic candidiasis (HSC) used to be reported in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) without antifungal prophylaxis. The aim was to describe the clinical features and outcomes of HSC over the last 13 years in a single French hematology center. Methods All patients diagnosed with HSC between 2008 and 2020 were included in a single-center retrospective cohort study. Data were collected from patient charts, and HSC was classified according to the 2020 European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycoses Study Group definitions. Results Sixty patients were included, with 18.3% proven, 3.3% probable, and 78.3% possible HSC according to the 2020 European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Mycoses Study Group classification. Among them, 19 patients were treated for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 21 for lymphomas, and 14 for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. HSC occurred in 13 patients after autologous stem cell transplantation for lymphoma. At HSC diagnosis, 13 patients were receiving antifungal prophylaxis. Candida colonization was present in 84.2%, with prior candidemia in 36.7% of cases. β-D-glucans was positive in 55.8%, and 45.8% of tissue biopsies were contributive. First-line antifungal therapy was azoles in 61.7%, and steroids were associated in 45% of cases. At 3 months of follow-up, partial response to antifungal therapy was 94.2%. At last follow-up (mean, 22.6 months), 41 patients (68.3%) presented a complete hematological remission and 22 patients were deceased, none because of HSC. Conclusions The epidemiology of HSC has changed in the last decade, with fewer cases occurring in the AML setting. A better identification of patients at risk could lead to specific prophylaxis and improved diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Leishmaniases are regularly seen in non-endemic areas due to the increase of international travels. They include cutaneous leishmaniases (CL) and mucocutaneous (MC) caused by different Leishmania species, and visceral leishmaniases (VL) which present with non-specific symptoms.Methods: We reviewed all consecutive leishmaniasis cases seen between September 2012 and May 2020. The diagnostic strategy included microscopy after May-Grünwald-Giemsa staining, a diagnostic quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay, and species identification based on sequencing of the cytochrome b gene.Results: Eighty-nine patients had a definitive leishmaniasis diagnosis. Nine patients had VL with Leishmania infantum. Eighty patients had CL. Twelve patients acquired CL after trips in Latin America (7 Leishmania guyanensis, 2 Leishmania braziliensis, 2 Leishmania mexicana, and 1 Leishmania panamensis). Species could be identified in 63 of the 68 CLs mainly after travel in North Africa (59%) with Leishmania major (65%), Leishmania tropica/killicki (24%), and L. infantum (11%), or in West Sub-Saharan Africa (32%), all due to L. major. The median day between appearance of the lesions and diagnosis was 90 [range 60-127].Conclusions: Our diagnostic strategy allows both positive diagnoses and species identifications. Travelers in West Sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa should be better aware of the risk of contracting leishmananiasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Although some prognostic factors for COVID-19 were consistently identified across the studies, differences were found for other factors that could be due to the characteristics of the study populations and the variables incorporated into the statistical model. We aimed to a priori identify specific patient profiles and then assess their association with the outcomes in COVID-19 patients with respiratory symptoms admitted specifically to hospital wards. Methods: We conducted a retrospective single-center study from February 2020 to April 2020. A non-supervised cluster analysis was first used to detect patient profiles based on characteristics at admission of 220 consecutive patients admitted to our institution. Then, we assessed the prognostic value using Cox regression analyses to predict survival. Results: Three clusters were identified, with 47 patients in cluster 1, 87 in cluster 2, and 86 in cluster 3; the presentation of the patients differed among the clusters. Cluster 1 mostly included sexagenarian patients with active malignancies who were admitted early after the onset of COVID-19. Cluster 2 included the oldest patients, who were generally overweight and had hypertension and renal insufficiency, while cluster 3 included the youngest patients, who had gastrointestinal symptoms and delayed admission. Sixty-day survival rates were 74.3%, 50.6% and 96.5% in clusters 1, 2, and 3, respectively. This was confirmed by the multivariable Cox analyses that showed the prognostic value of these patterns. Conclusion: The cluster approach seems appropriate and pragmatic for the early identification of patient profiles that could help physicians segregate patients according to their prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia is a difficult invasive infection to diagnose. Apart from microscopy of respiratory specimens, two diagnostic tests are increasingly used including real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) of respiratory specimens, mainly in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BAL), and serum β-1,3-D-glucan (BDG). It is still unclear how these two biomarkers can be used and interpreted in various patient populations. Here we analyzed retrospectively and multicentrically the correlation between BAL qPCR and serum BDG in various patient population, including mainly non-HIV patients. It appeared that a good correlation can be obtained in HIV patients and solid organ transplant recipients but no correlation can be observed in patients with hematologic malignancies, solid cancer, and systemic diseases. This observation reinforces recent data suggesting that BDG is not the best marker of PCP in non-HIV patients, with potential false positives due to other IFI or bacterial infections and false-negatives due to low fungal load and low BDG release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nine new human invasive infections caused by the keratinophilic fungi Nannizziopsis obscura have been reported in France since 2004. The patients had variable clinical manifestations, had frequent dissemination, were mainly T-cell immunocompromised, and all originated from sub-Saharan West Africa. Before collection of the isolates, the etiologies of these infections were often misidentified, underscoring the extent of microscopic and cultural polymorphisms. All isolates but 1 had low MICs for the 8 antifungal drugs tested. When treated, patients received mainly azole therapy. Two of 7 patients with a known outcome died. We performed multilocus sequence analysis of N. obscura clinical strains and several strains of Nannizziopsis spp. isolated from reptiles. The human strains were clearly differentiated from the animal strains. N. obscura might be endemic to West Africa and responsible for undetected infections, which might become reactivated when immunosuppression occurs. N. obscura infection is probably underestimated because only sequencing enables proper identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Time to positivity (TTP) and differential time to positivity (DTTP) between central and peripheral blood cultures are commonly used for bacteraemia to evaluate the likelihood of central venous catheter (CVC)‐related bloodstream infection. Few studies have addressed these approaches to yeast fungaemia. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate TTP and DTTP to assess CVC‐related yeast fungaemia (CVC‐RYF). Patients/Methods: We retrospectively analysed the results from 105 adult patients with incident fungaemia, with CVC removed and cultured, collected from 2010 to 2017. The bottles were incubated in a BioMérieux BacT/ALERT 3D and kept for at least 5 days. Results: Of the 105 patients included, most were oncology patients (85.7%) and had of long‐term CVC (79.6%); 32 (30.5%) had a culture‐positive CVC (defined as CVC‐RYF) with the same species as in blood culture, and 69.5% had culture‐negative CVC (defined as non‐CVC‐RYF, NCVC‐RYF). Candida albicans represented 46% of the episodes. The median TTP was statistically different between CVC‐RYF and NCVC‐RYF (16.8 hours interquartile range (IQR) [9.7‐28.6] vs 29.4 hours [IQR 20.7‐41.3]; P =.001). A TTP <10 hours had the best positive likelihood ratio (21.5) for CVC‐RYF, although the sensitivity was only 28%. DTTP was available for 52 patients. A DTTP >5 hours had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 71% for CVC‐RYF. Conclusions: Since the median TTP was 17 hours and the most performing DTTP >5 hours, these delays are too long to take a decision in the same operational day. More rapid methods for detecting infected catheters should be tested to avoid unnecessary CVC withdrawal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 41-year-old woman, who was diagnosed in July 2009 with an atypical chronic myeloid leukemia. Topics discussed include treatment of patient with cytarabine and hydroxyurea, development of BK virus nephropathy without hemorrhagic cystitis following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and opportunistic infections developed by patients.

Summary: Background: Patients with extensive burns are at risk of developing candidemia. Objectives: To identify potentially modifiable risk factors and outcomes of candidemia in critically ill burns patients. Patients and Methods: Retrospective matched cohort study including adult burns patients. Patients who developed candidemia were matched with burns patients with Candida spp colonisation and sepsis or septic shock without candidemia in a ratio of 1:3 (same severity scores and colonisation index). Univariate and multiple regression analyses were performed. Results: Of 130 severely burned patients with Candida spp colonisation and at least one episode of sepsis or septic shock, 14 were diagnosed with candidemia. In the candidemia group, patients had a median (IQR) total burns surface area (TBSA) of 57 (38‐68)%, SAPSII of 43 (36‐58) and ABSI of 11 (8‐13). Multiple regression analysis showed that only duration of prior antibiotic therapy was independently associated with candidemia. ICU mortality was higher in the candidemia group (71% vs 35% [P = 0.02]). The log‐rank test for 28‐day mortality comparing patients with candidemia treated with an empirical strategy vs a curative strategy did not reach significance (P = 0.056). Conclusions: Burns patients having received recent antibiotherapy have a higher risk of candidemia. Antifungal strategies did not influence outcome in this series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Invasive wound mucormycosis (IWM) is associated with an extremely poor outcome among critically ill burn patients. We describe the detection of circulating Mucorales DNA (cmDNA) for the early diagnosis of IWM in those patients and report the potential value of detecting cmDNA for treatment guidance. Methods. Severely ill burn patients admitted to our tertiary referral center between October 2013 and February 2016 were included. Retrospective plasma samples were tested for the presence of cmDNA by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Patients were then prospectively screened twice a week, and liposomal amphotericin-B therapy initiated based on a positive qPCR. The primary endpoint was the time between cmDNA detection and standard diagnosis. Secondary endpoints were the time from cmDNA detection and treatment initiation and mortality. Results. Seventy-seven patients (418 samples) were included. The average age was 46 (28-60) years, abbreviated burn severity index was 8 (7-10), and simplified acute physiology score was 33 (23-46). The total body surface area was 33% (22%-52%). cmDNA was detected 11 (4.5-15) days before standard diagnosis. The in-hospital mortality was 62% for patients with IWM and 24% for those without (P = .03). The mortality due to IWM was 80% during period A and 33% during period B (P = .46). Conclusions. This study suggests that the detection of cmDNA allows earlier diagnosis of IWM in severely ill burn patients and earlier initiation of treatment. Further studies are needed to confirm the impact of earlier treatment initiation on patient outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many factors influence the outcome of in vitro antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST), including endpoint definition, inoculum sizes, time and temperature of incubation, and growth medium used. This European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM) Excellence center driven study investigated multiple colony testing (MCT) of five separate colonies to investigate the prevalence of polyresistance (PR), defined as heterogeneous MICs from a same-species Candida culture irrespective of the underlying resistance mechanism. Candida spp. MCT for fluconazole and anidulafungin was performed by Etest prospectively comprising 405 clinical samples. MCT results were compared to the real-life routine MIC data and PR was assessed. Candida colonies displaying strong PR were selected for genotyping using multilocus sequence typing and random amplified polymorphic DNA assays for C. lusitaniae. Candida PR was observed in 33 of 405 samples (8.1%), with higher rates for non- albicans species (26/186, 14%) than for C. albicans (7/219, 3.2%), and for fluconazole than for anidulafungin. MCT detected acquired resistance more often than routine AFST (18/405, 4.5%) and 9 of the 161 investigated blood cultures showed PR (5.6%). Multilocus sequence typing and random amplified polymorphic DNA did not reveal a uniform genetic correlate in strains studied. This study shows that Candida single MIC-values obtained in routine diagnostics may be incidental, as they fail to detect PR and resistant subpopulations reliably. The reasons for PR seem to be manifold and should be regarded as a phenotypical expression of genomic variability irrespective of the underlying resistance mechanism, which may help to interpret ambiguous and non-reproducible AFST results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents case studies which include a 75-year-old woman with acute left visual loss and a 74-year-old woman with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. Topics discussed include failure of lymph node and bone marrow biopsies to demonstrate transformation, diagnosis of sphenoidal sinusitis by a brain computed tomography (CT) scan and treatment with levofloxacine, and observation of several cases of invasive aspergillosis.

Mycotic aneurysm is a rare condition mostly attributable to Candida or Aspergillus species. About 20 cases of Candida-related arteritis have been reported in kidney transplant patients. Herein, we report the case of a 40-year-old man who received a kidney from a deceased donor in whom an accidental digestive wound was made during organ retrieval. He presented with sudden anuria 47 days after renal transplantation, revealing a large mycotic aneurysm of the kidney graft renal artery. Organs derived from donors in whom a digestive breach is noticed should be used with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which examined the diffusion of liposomal amphotericin B (L-AMB) and posaconazole (PSC) in the skeletal muscles of critically ill burn patients who received continuous venovenous hemodialysis. Topics discussed include subcutaneous mucormycosis caused by Mucor circinelloides, good tissue diffusion of L-AMB, and the poor bioavailability of PSC.