Pichia ohmeri fungemia associated with phlebitis: successful treatment with amphotericin B.
We report a case of fungemia caused by the yeast-form fungus Pichia ohmeriin a 59-year-old hospitalized patient. P. ohmeri was found in all of the patient's blood cultures collected on days 52, 57, 59, and 64 of his hospital stay. Intermittent fever developed on the 52nd hospital day and persisted for about 10 days. The patient had previously received intensive antimicrobial therapy for a ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection and subsequent nosocomial pneumonia. Although a central venous catheter was not used in the patient, he suffered from tender swelling of the right leg due to peripheral phlebitis at the site of insertion of a peripheral venous catheter (which had already been removed at the onset of fever), the same site from which P. ohmeri was isolated. The fungemia and phlebitis cleared following 14-day amphotericin B therapy. This case shows that P. ohmeri can be a nosocomial bloodstream pathogen associated with phlebitis.
Shin
Dong Hyeon
DH
Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Hospital, 8 Hak-dong, Gwangju 501-757, Korea. dhyeon@chonnam.ac.kr
Park
Jeong Ho
JH
Shin
Jong Hee
JH
Suh
Soon Pal
SP
Ryang
Dong Wook
DW
Kim
Sei Jong
SJ
D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D016469:Fungemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009181:Mycoses / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D010689:Phlebitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D010843:Pichia / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000666:Amphotericin B