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A Long-Term Survivor of Disseminated Aspergillus and Mucorales Infection: An Instructive Case

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Abstract

Invasive fungal infections remain major causes of infection-related mortality in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) patients. Mixed infections and multiple organ involvement have been reported in these patients. Here, we report a case of mixed Aspergillus and Mucorales infection involving the lungs, brain, spleen and bone in a HSCT patient with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia, who finally improved with triple antifungal therapy and neurosurgical evacuation of brain abscesses. She was put on lifelong secondary prophylaxis with posaconazole with excellent compliance and no sign of toxicity despite over 10 years of drug administration. Serial galactomannan measurements and positron emission tomography/computed tomography were used and were helpful for disease activity monitoring. This is an instructive case of long-term survival after a severe combined mould infection.

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Acknowledgments

DPK acknowledges the Frances King Black endowment.

Conflict of interest

DPK received research support and honoraria from Astellas, Merck, Pfizer, and Gilead, Inc, and he serves on the advisory board of Merck. All other authors have no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, Unit 1460, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Setareh Davoudi & Dimitrios P. Kontoyiannis

  2. Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Paolo Anderlini

  3. Section of Neuropathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Gregory N. Fuller

Authors
  1. Setareh Davoudi
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  2. Paolo Anderlini
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  3. Gregory N. Fuller
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  4. Dimitrios P. Kontoyiannis
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dimitrios P. Kontoyiannis.

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Davoudi, S., Anderlini, P., Fuller, G.N. et al. A Long-Term Survivor of Disseminated Aspergillus and Mucorales Infection: An Instructive Case. Mycopathologia 178, 465–470 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-014-9785-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-014-9785-x

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