title: Invasive mold infections in cancer patients: 5 years' experience with Aspergillus, Mucor, Fusarium and Acremonium infections.
abstract: Twenty systemic mold infections due to hyphic fungi (molds) arising within the last 5 years in a 60-bed cancer department are analyzed. The most frequent risk factors were plants in ward (75%), prior therapy with broad spectrum antibiotics (70%), catheter insertion (70%), acute leukemia (65%) and neutropenia (60%). Before death, a definitive diagnosis was made in 40%, and a presumptive diagnosis in 60% of patients: post mortem the presumptive antemortem diagnosis was confirmed in all cases (100% of patients). Aspergillosis was the most common invasive fungal disease (55%), followed by mucormycosis (15%), fusariosis (15%), and acremoniosis (10%). Of 20 patients, 8 (40%) were cured or improved after antifungal therapy with amphotericin B, ambisome and/or itraconazole; 8/20 (40%) died of fungal infection and 4/20 (20%) of underlying disease with fungal infection. Even though the diagnosis was made and antifungal therapy started before death in 15/ 20 (75%), invasive mold infection had a 60% overall mortality in patients with malignant disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Tranava, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Krcmery
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kunova
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jesenska
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trupl
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spanik
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mardiak
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Studena
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kukuckova
mesh_terms: D000164:Acremonium; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005670:Fusarium; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009091:Mucormycosis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D009181:Mycoses / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents