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  • Blastoschizomyces capitatus...
    Martino, Rodrigo; Salavert, Miguel; Parody, Rocío; Tomás, José F.; de la Cámara, Rafael; Vázquez, Lourdes; Jarque, Isidro; Prieto, Elena; Sastre, José Luis; Gadea, Ignacio; Pemán, Javier; Sierra, Jorge

    Clinical infectious diseases, 02/2004, Volume: 38, Issue: 3
    Journal Article

    Twenty-six cases of Blastoschizomyces capitatus infection were diagnosed in 25 patients at 7 tertiary care hematology units in Spain over a 10-year period. Most patients (92%) had acute leukemia and developed infection during a period of severe and prolonged neutropenia. Two patients had esophagitis, and the rest had invasive infection. Fungemia (20 cases) was a common finding, with frequent visceral dissemination. The 30-day mortality associated with this infection was 52%, compared with 57% among patients with systemic infection. In a univariate analysis, the following 3 variables had a positive impact on 30-day survival: removal of the central venous catheter within 5 days after the onset of infection (P = .02), a good performance status (P = .003), and receipt of systemic prophylactic or empirical antifungal therapy before infection onset (P = .006). Outcome for neutropenic patients with B. capitatus infection is still poor. Rapid removal of the central venous catheter and novel antifungal therapies are recommended for treatment of this rare infection.