MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

A case of flexor tenosynovitis caused by Cyberlindnera rhodanensis – First reported human infection

Summary

A patient developed a fungal wrist infection caused by a yeast never before seen in humans, called Cyberlindnera rhodanensis. The infection required six surgeries and five months of antifungal medications to treat. This case shows that new fungal pathogens can cause serious infections even in healthy people, and highlights the importance of proper identification of organisms in medical cultures.

Background

Fungal tenosynovitis is uncommon and typically occurs in immunocompromised individuals. Cyberlindnera rhodanensis is a yeast that has never been reported to cause infections in humans, though it has been associated with bovine mastitis.

Objective

To report the first documented case of flexor tenosynovitis caused by Cyberlindnera rhodanensis in an immunocompetent human patient.

Results

A 58-year-old male patient with wrist tenosynovitis caused by C. rhodanensis required six surgeries and five months of antifungal therapy including voriconazole and micafungin over approximately two years for clinical resolution. Secondary infection with Staphylococcus aureus complicated the clinical course.

Conclusion

This case highlights C. rhodanensis as a potential emerging fungal pathogen and emphasizes the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in managing fungal tenosynovitis. Careful clinical judgment is needed to distinguish between true infection, colonization, and contamination in fungal isolates.
  • Published in:Medical Mycology Case Reports,
  • Study Type:Case Report,
  • Source: PMID: 40018082, DOI: 10.1016/j.mmcr.2024.100673
Scroll to Top