Small bowel infarction by Aspergillus.
Primary gut involvement by Aspergillus is a rare and often fatal complication of intensive antileukemic therapy. We describe the case of an adult patient affected by acute leukemia who developed a small bowel fungal thromboembolism without radiographic evidence of lung involvement during the post-induction aplastic phase. The diagnosis was made histologically at laparotomy performed for small bowel perforation. The patient died a week later in spite of amphotericin-B treatment and neutrophil recovery. Anti-Aspergillus prophylaxis and early introduction of amphotericin-B in the treatment of febrile neutropenia is probably advisable in all cases of AML.
Catalano
L
L
Cattedre di Ematologia, Università Federico II, Naples, Italy.
Picardi
M
M
Anzivino
D
D
Insabato
L
L
Notaro
R
R
Rotoli
B
B
D000208:Acute Disease; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000150:complications*; D001230:Aspergillus; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D007238:Infarction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged