title: The significance of blood cultures positive for emerging saprophytic moulds in cancer patients.
abstract: The significance of blood cultures positive for emerging saprophytic moulds (e.g., Scedosporium apiospermum, Scedosporium prolificans, Paecilomyces spp.) was evaluated in 30 cancer patients (1996-2002). Diagnostic criteria proposed previously for evaluation of aspergillaemia were used. Blood cultures positive for emerging saprophytic moulds represented 1% of all positive fungal cultures. One case of catheter-related fungaemia was excluded. The remaining 29 cases consisted of true (n = 5), probable (n = 1), indeterminate (n = 7) fungaemia, and contamination (n = 16). True fungaemia was seen only in leukaemia patients and allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients. S. apiospermum and S. prolificans were the commonest causes of true fungaemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lionakis
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Bodey
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Tarrand
authors.forename: I I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Raad
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Kontoyiannis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D016469:Fungemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D021681:Scedosporium / Q000254:growth & development*