title: Infections by the yeast Kodomaea (Pichia) ohmeri: two cases and literature review.
abstract: A 14-year-old boy who was neutropenic following chemotherapy for leukemia developed fungemia caused by the yeast Kodomaea ohmeri ( Pichia ohmeri). The infection was cured by catheter removal and the use of fluconazole. A 74-year-old man who had undergone surgeries for a subcutaneous tumor developed polymicrobic cellulitis involving Kodomaea ohmeri. Despite surgical debridement and antibiotic therapy, the patient died of complications. Including these 2 cases, there have been 10 Kodomaea ohmeri infections reported thus far, all occurring in patients with pre-existing conditions. There have been seven cases of fungemia and one case each of peritonitis, funguria, and cellulitis. The treatment employed varied depending on the site/source of infection. Seven patients recovered and three died. The microbiological data available suggest that Kodomaea ohmeri can be identified definitively by biochemical tests and is susceptible to amphotericin B and either susceptible to or dose dependently susceptible to itraconazole and fluconazole.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA. xhan@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: X Y
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Tarrand
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Escudero
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018450:Disease Progression; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016469:Fungemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D017964:Itraconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D010843:Pichia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D017964:Itraconazole; D015725:Fluconazole