Trichosporon Inkin Fungemia Case Report: Clinical and Laboratory Management

Abstract

Trichosporon species are emerging as opportunistic pathogens that mainly affect immunocompromised patients. Patients with onco-hematological diseases usually present with fungemia by Trichosporon species, especially by T. asahii. Reports of this infection by other species of the genus are uncommon. Thus, in this paper, we present a case of T. inkin fungemia in a 39-year-old female patient with intestinal obstruction and absence of malignant hematological diseases. The late mycological diagnosis, the ineffective control of her pre-existing conditions and consequent failure to start antifungal therapy were the contributing factors for the patient's death.

Lay abstract

Trichosporon species have been emerged as opportunistic fungi that mainly affect patients with low immunity. Hematological (blood related) cancer patients usually present with bloodstream infection with Trichosporon species, particularly Trichosporon asahii. Reports of this infection by other species of the genus are uncommon. Thus, in this paper, we present a case of bloodstream infection by Trichosporon inkin in a 39-year-old female patient with intestinal obstruction and absence of hematological cancer. The late fungal diagnosis, the ineffective control of the first symptoms and consequent failure to start specific medication were the factors that led to the patient's death.

Keywords::

• antifungal therapy
• diagnosis
• Invasive trichosporonosis
• T. inkin
• Trichosporon infection

Author contributions

FAGS, MARA: Conceptualization; AISA, MDSBP, LNAN: Methodology, FAGS, AISA, MCLA, MARA, MDSBP, LNAN, DPCM: writing – preparation of the original draft, FAGS, AISA, MCLA, MARA, MDSBP, LNAN, DPCM, RPN: writing – revision and editing, RPN: resources, RPN; supervision. All authors read and agreed with the published version of the manuscript.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Support was received from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – CNPq. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

All clinical and demographic data of the patient were collected in accordance with the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil, and was in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki (CAAE: 68134917.5.0000.5208). Written informed consent was obtained from the patient's family for publication of this case report.

Data sharing statement

All data collected from individual participants during this research were preserved (text, tables, figures and appendices).

Additional information

Funding

Support was received from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – CNPq. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.