Neutropenia – mycolab.ai

Sarocladium implicatum: an unusual agent of opportunistic infection in a COVID-19 patient

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A patient hospitalized with severe COVID-19 developed an unusual infection caused by a mold called Sarocladium implicatum, which typically affects plants. Due to weakened immune system from his illness and medications, the fungus spread to his bloodstream and lungs, causing persistent fever and a cavity in his lung. After molecular testing identified the fungus, he was treated with an antifungal medication called voriconazole, which successfully cured the infection.

Breakthrough Invasive Mould Infections Under Posaconazole Prophylaxis in Patients With Haematologic Malignancies: A Case–Control Study

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This study examined cases where patients receiving posaconazole to prevent fungal infections still developed serious mould infections despite the medication. Researchers compared 29 patients who developed these breakthrough infections with 46 control patients who did not. They found that over half of patients with breakthrough infections died, compared to only 20% of controls, and that surgical treatment significantly improved survival for certain types of fungal infections.

Invasive Trichoderma longibrachiatum breakthrough infection in a hematology patient

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A 61-year-old woman with blood cancer developed a severe and unusual double fungal infection caused by two mold species while being treated for a known fungal infection. Despite receiving multiple antifungal medications, her condition worsened and she ultimately died from multiple organ failure. The case is important because it demonstrates how Trichoderma fungi are becoming dangerous pathogens in very sick, immunocompromised patients, and a new drug called olorofim showed promising activity against this infection in laboratory tests.

Severe Saprochaete capitata fungemia presenting as micafungin breakthrough hepatosplenic lesions in an immunocompromised patient: case report

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A 70-year-old woman with blood cancer developed a serious fungal blood infection caused by Saprochaete capitata, a rare soil fungus, despite taking preventive antifungal medication. The infection spread to her liver and spleen, creating multiple lesions and a dangerous aneurysm. Doctors successfully treated her with a combination of three antifungal drugs, particularly voriconazole, which proved more effective than the initial preventive medication. This case highlights how rare fungi can cause severe infections in cancer patients and the importance of recognizing when standard preventive treatments are not working.

Data analysis of patients with positive mould or dimorphic fungal cultures from sterile sites

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This study examined 48 patients with serious mould and fungal infections at a South African hospital between 2014-2017. Most infections occurred in people with weak immune systems, especially those with HIV. The most common fungal type was Aspergillus. Even with appropriate antifungal medicines, one-quarter of patients died, highlighting how serious these infections can be.

Sarocladium implicatum: an unusual agent of opportunistic infection in a COVID-19 patient

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A 64-year-old man hospitalized with COVID-19 developed a serious fungal infection from Sarocladium implicatum, an unusual fungus rarely found in humans. The infection appeared in his bloodstream and lungs while his immune system was severely weakened by the virus and medications. Doctors identified the fungus using genetic testing and successfully treated him with voriconazole antifungal medication. This case highlights how COVID-19 patients in intensive care are vulnerable to rare opportunistic infections that require specialized laboratory testing to identify and treat.

A prospective, multicenter study of invasive fungal disease caused by molds in children and adults in Chile

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Researchers in Chile studied serious mold infections in 176 hospitalized patients (adults and children) over two years. They found that aspergillosis (a lung infection caused by Aspergillus mold) was the most common, especially in patients whose immune systems were compromised by cancer, transplants, or medications. Interestingly, nearly 40% of cases also involved COVID-19 infection. Although almost all patients received antifungal medications, survival rates were concerning, with about one-third of patients still alive after six months.

Incidence And Risk Factors for Invasive Fungal Infections in Pre-Transplant and Transplant-Ineligible Multiple Myeloma in the U.S.: A Claims Analysis (2017-2021)

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This study examined fungal infections in patients with multiple myeloma who were not eligible for or preparing for stem cell transplants. Researchers found that 6% of these patients developed invasive fungal infections, with yeast infections being the most common type. The risk of these infections was significantly higher in patients taking dexamethasone (a steroid) or those with low white blood cell counts and those receiving multiple cancer therapies.

Disease: Neutropenia