title: Hepatosplenic fungal infection in patients with acute leukemia in Taiwan: incidence, treatment, and prognosis.
abstract: Nosocomial fungal infection increases gradually and has become the leading pathogen at National Taiwan University Hospital since 1993. From January 1995 through May 2002, hepatosplenic fungal infection (HSF) was diagnosed in 37 (7.4%) of the 500 adult patients with acute leukemia who received chemotherapy at this hospital. There was no significant difference in the incidence of HSF between the patients with acute myeloid leukemia and those with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or between the patients treated with high-dose chemotherapy and those with conventional or low-dose chemotherapy. Candida tropicalis was the leading pathogen, followed by Candida albicans. The computed tomography scan showed multiple hypodense lesions in the liver (89%), spleen (70%), and kidney (27%). Eighteen patients were initially treated with fluconazole and 19 with amphotericin B. Nineteen patients received the planned chemotherapy after the diagnosis of HSF. Among them, eight patients underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and seven patients survived more than 100 days post-transplantation; none of these patients had relapse of prior HSF. Twenty-three patients (62%) died during a median follow up of 10 months, but only seven died due to HSF. In conclusion, a substantial percentage of patients with acute leukemia acquired HSF after chemotherapy and carried high mortality. However, HSF itself is not a contraindication for subsequent chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Y-C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: J-L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: S-Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7, Chung-Shan South Road, 100, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yao-Chang
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7, Chung-Shan South Road, 100, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: M-C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7, Chung-Shan South Road, 100, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. hftd@ha.mc.ntu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: H-F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Tien
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007938:Leukemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009181:Mycoses / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000382:microbiology; D011379:Prognosis; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents