Fulminant candidemia diagnosed by prompt detection of pseudohyphae in a peripheral blood smear.

Abstract

A 77-year-old man treated with prednisolone for pemphigus developed severe sepsis by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Several antibiotics were administered. A peripheral blood smear showed growth of a large number of yeast extending pseudohyphae which could be seen both inside and outside of leucocytes. Antifungal agents were added immediately; however, he did not recover. Several days later, blood culture showed Candida albicans septicemia. The autopsy revealed microabscesses in the lung, heart, liver and kidney. A large amount of neutrophil invasion and yeast with pseudohyphae were also detected.

• Authors: Satoshi Ikegaya, Katsunori Tai, Hiroko Shigemi, Hiromichi Iwasaki, Toshiharu Okada, Takanori Ueda
• Journal: The American journal of the medical sciences (Am J Med Sci) Vol. 343 Issue 5 Pg. 419-20 (May 2012) ISSN: 1538-2990 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 22173051 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Topics

• Aged
• Candidemia (complications, diagnosis)
• Fatal Outcome
• Fungemia (complications, microbiology)
• Humans
• Male
• Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
• Pemphigus (complications)
• Pseudomonas Infections (complications, microbiology)
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Skin Ulcer (complications)
• Staphylococcal Skin Infections (complications, microbiology)