Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Fatal brain infection caused by Aspergillus glaucus in an immunocompetent patient identified by sequencing of the ribosomal 18S–28S internal transcribed spacer

  • Case Report
  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cerebral aspergillosis has rarely been reported in immunocompetent patients. We herein describe a unique case of cerebral aspergillosis in a healthy adult that led to his death despite aggressive antifungal therapy. Sequencing of ribosomal 18S–28S internal transcribed spacer identified the organism as Eurotium herbariorum, the teleomorph of Aspergillus glaucus.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Paterson DL (2004) New clinical presentations of invasive aspergillosis in non-conventional hosts. Clin Microbiol Infect 10(Suppl 1):24–30

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Salaki JS, Lourira DB, Chmel H (1984) Fungal and yeast infections of the central nervous system: a clinical review. Medicine (Baltimore) 63(2):108–132

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Ashdown BC, Tien RD, Felsberg GJ (1994) Aspergillosis of the brain and paranasal sinuses in immunocompromised patients: CT and MR imaging findings. AJR Am J Roentgenol 162(1):155–159

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Walsh TJ, Hier DB, Caplan LR (1985) Aspergillosis of the central nervous system: clinicopathological analysis of 17 patients. Ann Neurol 18(5):574–582

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Siddiqui AA, Shah AA, Bashir SH (2004) Craniocerebral aspergillosis of sinonasal origin in immunocompetent patients: clinical spectrum and outcome in 25 cases. Neurosurgery 55(3):602–611

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Kim DG, Hong SC, Kim HJ, Chi JG, Han MH, Choi KS, Han DH (1993) Cerebral aspergillosis in immunologically competent patients. Surg Neurol 40(4):326–331

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Alrajhi AA, Enani M, Mahasin Z, Al-Omran K (2001) Chronic invasive aspergillosis of the paranasal sinuses in immunocompetent hosts from Saudi Arabia. Am J Trop Med Hyg 65(1):83–86

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Szymanska J (2005) Evaluation of mycological contamination of dental unit waterlines. Ann Agric Environ Med 12(1):153–155

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Curtis L, Cali S, Conroy L, Baker K, Ou CH, Hershow R, Norlock-Cruz F, Scheff P (2005) Aspergillus surveillance project at a large tertiary-care hospital. J Hosp Infect 59(3):188–196

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Sridhar H, Jayshree RS, Bapsy PP, Appaji L, Navin Kumar M, Shafiulla M, VijayKumar BR (2002) Invasive aspergillosis in cancer. Mycoses 45(9–10):358–363

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Yoshida K, Ando M, Ito K, Sakata T, Arima K, Araki S, Uchida K (1990) Hypersensitivity pneumonitis of a mushroom worker due to Aspergillus glaucus. Arch Environ Health 45(4):245–247

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Chen YC, Eisner JD, Kattar MM, Rassoulian-Barrett SL, Lafe K, Bui U, Limaye AP, Cookson BT (2001) Polymorphic internal transcribed spacer region 1 DNA sequences identify medically important yeasts. J Clin Microbiol 39(11):4042–4051

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Chen YC, Eisner JD, Kattar MM, Rassoulian-Barrett SL, LaFe K, Yarfitz SL, Limaye AP, Cookson BT (2000) Identification of medically important yeasts using PCR-based detection of DNA sequence polymorphisms in the internal transcribed spacer 2 region of the rRNA genes. J Clin Microbiol 38(6):2302–2310

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Rakeman JL, Bui U, LaFé K, Chen YC, Honeycutt RJ, Cookson BT (2005) Multilocus DNA sequence comparisons rapidly identify pathogenic molds. J Clin Microbiol 43(7):3324–3333

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Sutton DA, Fothergill AW, Rinaldi MG (1998) Guide to clinically significant fungi. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, p 54

    Google Scholar 

  16. St-Germain G, Summerbell R (1996) Identifying filamentous fungi. Star Publishing, Belmont, CA, p 68

    Google Scholar 

  17. Hussain S, Salahuddin N, Ahmad I, Salahuddin I, Jooma R (1995) Rhinocerebral invasive mycosis: occurrence in immunocompetent individuals. Eur J Radiol 20(2):151–155

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Lin SJ, Schrannz J, Teutsch SM (2001) Aspergillosis case-fatality rate: systematic review of the literature. Clin Infect Dis 32(3):358–366

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Herbrecht R, Denning DW, Patterson TF et al (2002) Voriconazole versus amphotericin B for primary therapy of invasive aspergillosis. N Engl J Med 347(6):408–415

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Patterson TF, Kirkpatrick WR, White M et al (2000) Invasive aspergillosis. Disease, spectrum, treatment practices, and outcomes. 13 Aspergillus Study Group. Medicine (Baltimore) 79(4):250–260

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Araujo R, Pina-Vaz C, Rodrigues AG (2007) Susceptibility of environmental versus clinical strains of pathogenic Aspergillus. Int J Antimicrob Agents 29(1):108–111

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Black KE, Baden LR (2007) Fungal infections of the CNS: treatment strategies for the immunocompromised patient. CNS Drugs 21(4):293–318

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Dr. Brad Cookson, Dr. Jennifer Rakeman, Karen LaFé, and Uyen Bui in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle, for helping with molecular identification.

All authors: No conflict

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Infectious Diseases, American University of Beirut Medical Center, P.O. Box 113-6044, Hamra, Beirut, 110 32090, Lebanon

    R. S. Traboulsi, O. Dbouni & S. S. Kanj

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, P.O. Box 113-6044, Hamra, Beirut, 110 32090, Lebanon

    M. M. Kattar, G. F. Araj & S. S. Kanj

Authors
  1. R. S. Traboulsi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. M. Kattar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. O. Dbouni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. G. F. Araj
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. S. S. Kanj
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. S. Kanj.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Traboulsi, R.S., Kattar, M.M., Dbouni, O. et al. Fatal brain infection caused by Aspergillus glaucus in an immunocompetent patient identified by sequencing of the ribosomal 18S–28S internal transcribed spacer. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 26, 747–750 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-007-0361-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-007-0361-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation