title: Fusarium fungaemia in immunocompromised patients.
abstract: Fusarium spp. cause infections only rarely in immunologically competent hosts, but disseminated infection may occur in severely immunocompromised patients. Symptoms of disseminated infection are persistent fever, despite broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal treatment, associated with skin lesions, most commonly on the extremities, in 60-80% of patients. A mortality rate of 50-75% has been reported for patients with disseminated fusariosis. Despite treatment failures, amphotericin B remains the preferred drug, in part because of lack of alternatives. Voriconazole is a promising new agent, but more clinical experience is required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark. t.g.jensen@ouh.fyns-amt.dk
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gahrn-Hansen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arendrup
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bruun
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D016469:Fungemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D005670:Fusarium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009181:Mycoses / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology