Pulmonary phaeohyphomycosis due to Exophiala jeanselmei：a case report and review of literature / 中国感染与化疗杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To better understanding the clinical presentations of phaeohyphomycosis,and improve the diagnosis and management of the disease.Methods We reported a case of pulmonary phaeohyphomycosis caused by Exophiala jeanselmei at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University in 2008,and reviewed the relevant literature.The clinical,radio-logical and etiological features were summarized based on this case and the other 23 phaeohyphomycosis patients reported in China from January 1995 to August 2013.Results 24 Chinese cases of phaeohyphomycosis have been reported to date,including 15 males and 9 females.The age of these patients ranged from 4 to 76 (mean 40.0±21 .8)years old.Seventeen patients were otherwise healthy.The other 7 patients had complications.Clinical presentations of phaeohyphomycosis vary widely,including cutaneous and subcutaneous infection in 18 cases,pulmonary and central nervous system involvement in two cases each,para-nasal sinus and palpebral conjunctiva infection one case each.The diagnosis of 18 cases were confirmed both microbiologically and histologically.One case was confirmed histologically alone.Five cases were identified microbiologically alone.The samples for culture were collected from skin abscess (1/5 ),pulmonary tissue (2/5 ),and cervical spinal fluid (2/5 ),respectively. Twenty-two strains of causative organisms were identified,7 of which were Exophiala jeanselmei .Twenty-three patients received treatment.They were cured by antifungal agents alone (18)or in conjunction with surgical resection (4 ),or assisted with XD-635AB-based photodynamic laser therapy (1).Specifically,10 pa-tients were cured by itraconazole alone.Conclusions In China, most patients of phaeohyphomycosis have concurrent conditions or have previously received immunosuppressive agents and cor-ticosteroids.Cutaneous and subcutaneous infection were most common,located mainly on limbs,face,chest and abdominal skin.The most frequently isolated pathogen is Exophiala jeanselmei ,followed by Phialophora verrucosa and Exophiala spinifera .Itraconazole therapy would be very effective.Susceptibility testing is very useful in case of refractory infection.