Infect Chemother.  2006 Oct;38(5):290-295.

A Case of Disseminated Scedosporium apiospermum Infection in a Liver Transplant Patient

• Park HG
• Choi SH
• Kang HS
• Song JH
• Jung JH
• So MW
• Choi SH
• Kim YS
• Woo JH

Abstract

Sedosporium apiospermum is a saprophytic fungus commonly found in soil and polluted water. This organism is known as a cause of mycetoma, which may occur in immunocompetent hosts following trauma. However, in immunocompromised patients, S. apiospermum can also cause life-threatening invasive disease, including central nervous system infection or disseminated infection. We report a fatal case of disseminated S. apiospermum infection in a 46-year-old woman after liver transplantation. Eight days postoperatively, she developed pneumonia, followed by altered mentality in the 15 days. A head CT demonstrated multiple brain abscesses. Sputum and stereotactic-aspirated brain abscess culture yielded S. apiospermum. Despite treatment with voriconazole, the patient died of intracranial hemorrhage.

Keyword

Scedosporium apiospermum; Liver transplantation; Voriconazole

MeSH Terms

Brain Abscess
Central Nervous System Infections
Female
Fungi
Head
Humans
Immunocompromised Host
Intracranial Hemorrhages
Liver Transplantation
Liver*
Middle Aged
Mycetoma
Pneumonia
Scedosporium*
Soil
Sputum
Soil