title: Successful Surgical Treatment of a Huge Candida albicans Aortic Fungus Ball with Pseudoaneurysm.
abstract: A 70-year-old woman with a history of aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was transferred to the authors' hospital for further management of a three-month fever of unknown origin. Computed tomography showed a huge mass in the ascending aorta with pseudoaneurysm. Blood β-D-glucan levels were significantly high, and blood culture showed the growth of Candida albicans. The fungus ball was excised surgically, together with aortic root replacement and CABG, followed by six-month postoperative anti-fungal therapy. Early diagnosis by imaging studies followed by aggressive surgery and long-term postoperative antifungal treatment should result in a favorable outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. Electronic correspondence: satoru@med.kurume-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tobinaga
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuichirou
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saisho
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kohsuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saku
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kikusaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takaseya
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017541:Aneurysm, False / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D001011:Aorta / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000601:surgery; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D005260:Female; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans