Malassezia furfur fungemia as a treatable cause of obscure fever in a leukemia patient receiving parenteral nutrition.
We describe a 46-year-old man with acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) and Crohn's disease who, while receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN), developed a protracted febrile illness with thrombocytopenia, pulmonary infiltrates and jaundice. Malassezia furfur, a lipophilic fungus, was identified from blood culture on lipid-enriched media. The patient improved rapidly with cessation of TPN and removal of his central venous catheter. M. furfur may cause a severe illness in immunosuppressed patients receiving TPN.
D000208:Acute Disease; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects; D005217:Fat Emulsions, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects; D005335:Fever of Unknown Origin / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000150:complications; D007938:Leukemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D008290:Malassezia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009181:Mycoses / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D010289:Parenteral Nutrition, Total / Q000009:adverse effects*
D005217:Fat Emulsions, Intravenous