First national survey of the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection in Clinical Microbiology Laboratories in Spain. / Primera encuesta nacional sobre el diagnóstico de la infección por Helicobacter pylori en los laboratorios de microbiología clínica en España.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to know, through a national survey, the methods and techniques used for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) in the different Clinical Microbiology Services/Laboratories in Spain, as well as antibiotic resistance data. METHODS: The survey requested information about the diagnostic methods performed for Hp detection in Clinical Microbiology laboratories, including serology, stool antigen, culture from gastric biopsies, and PCR. In addition, the performance of antibiotic susceptibility was collected. Data on the number of samples processed in 2016, positivity of each technique and resistance data were requested. The survey was sent by email (October-December 2017) to the heads of 198 Clinical Microbiology Laboratories in Spain. RESULTS: Overall, 51 centers from 29 regions answered the survey and 48/51 provided Hp microbiological diagnostic testing. Concerning the microbiological methods used to diagnose Hp infection, the culture of gastric biopsies was the most frequent (37/48), followed by stool antigen detection (35/48), serology (19/48) and biopsy PCR (5/48). Regarding antibiotic resistance, high resistance rates were observed, especially in metronidazole and clarithromycin (over 33%). CONCLUSION: Culture of gastric biopsies was the most frequent method for detection of Hp, but the immunochromatographic stool antigen test was the one with which the largest number of samples were analyzed. Nowadays, in Spain, it concerns the problem of increased antibiotic resistance to 'first-line' antibiotics.

[First report of a case of fungal keratitis due to Curvularia hominis in Spain]. / Queratitis fúngica por Curvularia hominis: primer caso descrito en España.

BACKGROUND: Dematiaceous fungal genus Curvularia is a causal agent of keratitis, onychomycosis, and skin infections. In 2014, using DNA sequencing techniques, five new species, including Curvularia hominis, were described. In this article, a report is presented on the first clinical case of C.hominis infection in Spain. It concerns a corneal ulcer caused by this recently described species. CASE REPORT: A 46 year-old male patient with a corneal ulcer in his left eye went to the Emergency Department. Specimens were obtained from the lesion, and the patient was admitted due to the risk of corneal perforation. The fungal culture of the specimens revealed a filamentous fungus that was identified by microscopic examination as Curvulariaspp. Using mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) the isolate was identified as Curvularia lunata. To confirm the identification, the isolate was sent to the National Centre of Microbiology in Spain, where ITS region sequencing was performed, and it was finally identified as C.hominis. The patient received voriconazole and progressed favourably. To repair the corneal damage, the patient received an amniotic membrane transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: C.hominis should be considered a causal agent of keratitis and sequencing techniques are now necessary for species-level identification of Curvularia isolates. This is the first case report in Spain caused by this species.

Mycobacterium lentiflavum as the main cause of lymphadenitis in pediatric population. / Mycobacterium lentiflavum como causa principal de linfadenitis en población pediátrica.

INTRODUCTION: Cervical lymphadenitis is the most common nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection in immunocompetent children, mainly in those under 5years. For many years Mycobacterium lentiflavum (M. lentiflavum) has been considered a rare NTM causing lymphadenitis. METHODS: A restrospective study was performed in pediatric patients with microbiologically confirmed NTM cervical lympahdenitis at the Niño Jesús Hospital in Madrid during 2009-2016. RESULTS: During the period studied, 28 cases of cervical lymphadenitis were recorded. In 23 (82.14%) and in 5 (17,85%) cases, M. lentiflavum and Mycobacterium avium were isolated, respectively. In those patients infected with M. lentiflavum, the most frequent location was sub-maxilar (43.47%); 15 (65.21%) were boys, global median age was 30,8 months and all cases showed a satisfactory evolution. CONCLUSION: We propose that M. lentiflavum should be considered an important emergent pathogen cause of cervical lymphadenitis in the pediatric population.