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Cerebral Scedosporium apiospermum infection presenting with intestinal manifestations

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An Erratum to this article was published on 03 April 2013

Abstract

We present a case of cerebral Scedosporium apiospermum infection presenting with intestinal manifestations in a 64-year-old male patient on immunosuppression for orthotopic liver transplantation. At admission, the patient’s chief complaint was chronic watery diarrhea and he was found to have colonic ulcers on endoscopy. His hospital course was complicated by a tonic–clonic seizure caused by a left frontal brain abscess, with the causative agent being identified by culture. He was treated with lobectomy, high-dose intravenous voriconazole, and liposomal amphotericin with clinical, endoscopic, and histologic improvement. To our knowledge, S. apiospermum has not been previously described as a cause of colitis. The septate branching appearance of the Scedosporium species is similar to the more common Aspergillus species. This case of gastrointestinal Scedosporium brings into question previously reported cases of isolated gastrointestinal aspergillosis diagnosed by histopathology. Clinical suspicion for S. apiospermum must be maintained in immunosuppressed patients presenting with neurologic and gastrointestinal symptoms.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest or financial disclosures. There are no other concurrent submissions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    D. Lin, K. Qurat-Ul-Ain, S. Lai, D. M. Musher & R. Hamill

  2. Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    D. M. Musher

  3. Medical Care Line, Infectious Disease Section, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA

    D. M. Musher & R. Hamill

  4. Medical Care Line, Pathology Section, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA

    S. Lai

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  1. D. Lin
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  2. K. Qurat-Ul-Ain
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  4. D. M. Musher
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  5. R. Hamill
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Correspondence to D. Lin.

Additional information

This case report was collected from a patient treated in 2012 at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

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Lin, D., Qurat-Ul-Ain, K., Lai, S. et al. Cerebral Scedosporium apiospermum infection presenting with intestinal manifestations. Infection 41, 723–726 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-013-0429-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-013-0429-8

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