High-Resolution Ultrasound Including Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) for the Detection of Gas Formation during Aspergillus Fumigatus Infection in Mice.

Purpose: A. fumigatus infections represent a major threat for patients with a suppressed immune system. Early diagnosis is of importance for a favorable outcome but appears to be difficult due to limited diagnostic procedures.

[A 55-year-old man with abdominal pain and fever].

A 55-year-old man was admitted for evaluation of chronic abdominal pain and fever. Computed tomography demonstrated a retroperitoneal inflammatory process involving the mesenteric root. Adipose tissue biopsy showed panniculitis mesenterica with granulomas.

High resolution ultrasound including elastography and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for early detection and characterization of liver lesions in the humanized tumor mouse model.

Purpose: In this study we investigated the sensitivity of high resolution ultrasound (HRU) in the detection of small liver tumors and its microcirculation in a humanized tumor mouse model (HTM). These mice develop a complete human immune system and human breast cancer growth in the liver which allows the investigation of antibody based immunotherapies under human like conditions.

Method: HTM were generated by the co-transplantation of human breast cancer cells and human hematopoietic stem cells.

Successful treatment of Scedosporium apiospermum soft tissue abscess with caspofungin and voriconazole in a severely immunocompromised patient with acute myeloid leukemia.

We report the case of a 53-year-old female patient with refractory acute myeloid leukemia developing a necrotic, soft tissue abscess on the right forearm caused by Scedosporium apiospermum during prolonged severe neutropenia (absolute white blood cell count <500/μL for 49 days). In the context of the severely immunocompromised state of the patient and her need for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), surgical treatment options were not favored. Therefore, combined antifungal therapy with voriconazole and caspofungin was started, based on the results of the in vitro testing (minimum inhibitory concentrations of voriconazole, posaconazole, and amphotericin B: 1, 4, and >2mg/L, respectively).