title: Fulminant candidemia diagnosed by prompt detection of pseudohyphae in a peripheral blood smear.
abstract: A 77-year-old man treated with prednisolone for pemphigus developed severe sepsis by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Several antibiotics were administered. A peripheral blood smear showed growth of a large number of yeast extending pseudohyphae which could be seen both inside and outside of leucocytes. Antifungal agents were added immediately; however, he did not recover. Several days later, blood culture showed Candida albicans septicemia. The autopsy revealed microabscesses in the lung, heart, liver and kidney. A large amount of neutrophil invasion and yeast with pseudohyphae were also detected.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology and Cardiology, Faculty of Medical Science, University of Fukui, Japan. sikegaya@u-fukui.ac.jp
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ikegaya
authors.forename: Katsunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shigemi
authors.forename: Hiromichi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: Toshiharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D058387:Candidemia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D016469:Fungemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; D010392:Pemphigus / Q000150:complications*; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000150:complications; D013207:Staphylococcal Skin Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology