Protothecosis in the mucosa of the pharynx mimicking pharyngeal cancer in an immunocompetent individual: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Protothecosis is a rare infection in humans and animals caused by the achlorophyllic algae Prototheca species. More than half of the protothecosis cases are cutaneous infections, and most cases are observed in immunocompromised individuals. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of Prototheca wickerhamii infection in the mucosa of the pharynx in a 53-year-old immunocompetent woman with an incidentally found mass lesion at the left tongue base. Histopathological findings of the mass lesion suggested cryptococcosis, but P. wickerhamii was identified from the oropharynx scrape culture based on DNA sequencing. After surgical resection, fosfluconazole treatment was initiated, and subsequently, treatment was switched to topical amphotericin B. The residual mass lesion did not deteriorate during the 4-month antifungal treatment and 1-year observational period. CONCLUSIONS: Prototheca species can be easily misdiagnosed as yeasts because of their morphological and pathological similarities. Prototheca, in addition to Cryptococcus should be considered if slow-growing, large Gram-positive organisms are encountered. Lactophenol cotton blue staining of the colony helps distinguish these organisms. Further study is needed to determine the appropriate treatment according to the infection focus.

Antibiotic Susceptibilities of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated from Blood Samples and Antibiotic Utilization in a University Hospital in Japan.

INTRODUCTION: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most important causes of nosocomial infection. Several reports indicated a correlation of antimicrobial usages and declined susceptibilities. In this report, we evaluated their relation in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Tokyo, Japan for 4 years. METHODS: We evaluated the susceptibilities of 149 strains of P. aeruginosa isolated from blood samples and consumption of anti-pseudomonal antibiotics as antimicrobial use density from 2009 to 2012 in the University of Tokyo Hospital in Tokyo, Japan. RESULTS: Usages of carbapenems and anti-pseudomonal cephalosporins decreased 44% and 31% from 2009 to 2011, and then increased 30% and 24% in 2012, respectively. Usage of piperacillin-tazobactam increased 87% from 2009 to 2012, which was introduced in the hospital in 2008. Consumption of fluoroquinolones and aminoglycoside remained low in those years. Susceptibilities to cephalosporins, carbapenems (except for panipenem-betamipron), penicillins, and fluoroquinolones declined between 22% and 39% in 2010, increased in the range of 16-31% in 2011, and increased by 1-14% in 2012. Susceptibility of panipenem-betamipron ranged between 25% and 32%. Susceptibility to aminoglycoside was more than 90% during this period. No relationship between antimicrobial usages and susceptibilities of P. aeruginosa was observed. CONCLUSION: Susceptibilities of P. aeruginosa did not correlate with the usage of antibiotics in our hospital. Several infection control measures and other factors might contribute to changing the susceptibilities of bacteria.