In Vitro Interactions of Amphotericin B Combined with Non-antifungal Agents Against Rhodotorula mucilaginosa Strains.

Rhodotorula species are emerging as opportunistic pathogens, causing catheter-associated fungemia in patients with compromised immunity. R. mucilaginosa is considered the most common species involved in human infections.

The halo sign: HRCT findings in 85 patients.

Objective:: The halo sign consists of an area of ground-glass opacity surrounding pulmonary lesions on chest CT scans. We compared immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients in terms of halo sign features and sought to identify those of greatest diagnostic value.

Methods:: This was a retrospective study of CT scans performed at any of seven centers between January of 2011 and May of 2015.

Antifungal activities of tacrolimus in combination with antifungal agents against fluconazole-susceptible and fluconazole-resistant Trichosporon asahii isolates.

The antifungal activity of tacrolimus in combination with antifungal agents against different fungal species has been previously reported. Here we report the in vitro interactions between tacrolimus and amphotericin B, fluconazole, itraconazole, and caspofungin against 30 clinical isolates of both fluconazole-susceptible and fluconazole-resistant Trichosporon asahii. For these analyses, we used the broth microdilution method based on the M27-A3 technique and checkerboard microdilution method.

Nocardia nova causing empyema necessitatis afterlung re-transplantation: a case report.

We report herein a case of thoracic infection due to Nocardia nova following lung re-transplantation performed for emphysema related to alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency. The infection extended from the lung into the pleural space, thoracic wall, and mediastinum, presenting as pericarditis and empyema necessitatis. Nocardia nova was identified by 16S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA) sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.

COMPARISON BETWEEN FOUR USUAL METHODS OF IDENTIFICATION OF Candida SPECIES.

Infection by Candida spp. is associated with high mortality rates, especially when treatment is not appropriate and/or not immediate. Therefore, it is necessary to correctly identify the genus and species of Candida.

Paracoccidioidomycosis Mimicking Sarcoidosis: A Review of 8 Cases.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disorder that is characterized by noncaseous epithelioid cell granulomas, which may affect almost any organ. Thoracic involvement is common and accounts for most of the morbidity and mortality associated with this disease. The diagnosis is based on exhaustive exclusion of differential diagnoses, particularly granulomatous infections.

Sphenoid sinus fungus ball by filaments of actinomycetes and Aspergillus fumigatus.

We present a case of sphenoid sinus fungus ball caused by Aspergillus fumigatus associated with actinomycosis. This case represents the first known reported infection caused by this rare association.

A case of miliary pulmonary cryptococcosis and review of literature.

We describe a case of cryptococcal fungemia in a 62-year-old male renal transplant patient. The diagnosis was established by isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans using the Isolator(®) blood culture lysis-centrifugation system. Testing for cryptococcal antigens was negative in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid.

Cryptococcosis in patients living with hepatitis C and B viruses.

Cryptococcosis, a systemic fungal infection, has become a significant, global public health problem. Patients with liver disease have an increased predisposition to infections, such as Cryptococcosis. To report the underlying disease, the variety of etiologic agents involved and the outcomes of the Cryptococcosis in patients living with HBV and/or HCV, we reviewed 34 medical records of patients who were diagnosed with Cryptococcosis by the Mycology Laboratory of Santa Casa Hospital, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Use of Mueller-Hinton broth and agar in the germ tube test.

Candida albicans is often isolated from clinical samples, thus its presumptive differentiation from other species of the same genus can be based on its ability to form the germ tube in human serum. Nevertheless, there are two other species that share this characteristic: C. dubliniensis and C.

Pulmonary diseases with imaging findings mimicking aspergilloma.

Patients with preexisting lung cavities are at risk of developing intracavitary fungal colonization. Because Aspergillus spp. are the most commonly implicated fungi, these fungal masses are called aspergillomas.

Multiple pulmonary nodules caused by Corynebacterium striatum in an immunocompetent patient.

Nondiphtherial corynebacteria are ubiquitous in nature and commonly colonize the skin and mucous membranes of humans, however they rarely account for clinical infection. We present the first reported case of multiple pulmonary nodules caused by Corynebacterium striatum. The infection occurred in a 72-year-old immunocompetent female, and the diagnosis was obtained by Gram's stain and culture of lung biopsy.

Cutaneous infection by Diaporthe phaseolorum in Brazil.

Diaporthe phaseolorum is a frequent fungal parasite of plants, rarely involved in human diseases. We describe a case of cutaneous infection caused by this fungus diagnosed by morphology and molecular biology, on the hands and on a foot of a renal transplanted Brazilian farmer. The infection was resolved with oral itraconazole.

First reported case of cellulitis due to Cryptococcus gattii in lung transplantation recipient: a case report.

Cryptococcus gattii are closely related species of encapsulated yeast-like fungi involved in the etiology of cryptococcosis, especially in immunocompetent individuals. Dissemination with involvement of many organ systems is common. On the other hand, cellulitis in an immunossupressed patient caused by C.

Fungal diseases mimicking primary lung cancer: radiologic-pathologic correlation.

A variety of fungal pulmonary infections can produce radiologic findings that mimic lung cancers. Distinguishing these infectious lesions from lung cancer remains challenging for radiologists and clinicians. In such cases, radiographic findings and clinical manifestations can be highly suggestive of lung cancer, and misdiagnosis can significantly delay the initiation of appropriate treatment.

Determination of germ tube, phospholipase, and proteinase production by bloodstream isolates of Candida albicans.

Introduction: Candida albicans is a commensal and opportunistic agent that causes infection in immunocompromised individuals. Several attributes contribute to the virulence and pathogenicity of this yeast, including the production of germ tubes (GTs) and extracellular hydrolytic enzymes, particularly phospholipase and proteinase. This study aimed to investigate GT production and phospholipase and proteinase activities in bloodstream isolates of C.

Variability in Galactomannan detection by Platelia Aspergillus EIA™ according to the Aspergillus species.

Here we investigate the extent to which different Aspergillus species release galactomannan (GM) in vitro. Marked variability was observed in GM reactivity between and within Aspergillus species, with A. terreus strains showing the highest GM indexes.

Histoplasmosis presenting with multiple pulmonary nodules. A case mimicking radiological features of pulmonary metastasis.

We present a case of histoplasmosis with multiple pulmonary nodules in a patient with a history of melanoma. This case closely simulated malignancy, including the presence of feeding vessel sign, which occurs in pulmonary metastasis. We emphasize the need to be aware of this infection in areas where histoplasmosis is endemic.

High-resolution computed tomographic findings of Aspergillus infection in lung transplant patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess high-resolution computed tomographic (HRCT) findings at presentation in lung transplant patients diagnosed with pulmonary Aspergillus infection.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed HRCT findings from 23 patients diagnosed with pulmonary aspergillosis. Imaging studies were performed 2-5 days after the onset of symptoms.

Nocardia cyriacigeorgica intracavitary lung colonization: first report of an actinomycetic rather than fungal ball in bronchiectasis.

We report the first case of an isolated endobronchial mass caused by Nocardia cyriacigeorgica in an immunocompetent patient with a history of lung surgery; this is a rare presentation of an emerging opportunistic pathogen. The infection was successfully eradicated by surgery. Microbiologists and clinicians should pay more attention to this group of filamentous bacteria, which in the past have often been neglected by medical personnel.

[Saccharomyces cerevisiae infections].

Background: Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an ubiquitous yeast widely used in industry and it is also a common colonizer of the human mucosae. However, the incidence of invasive infection by these fungi has significantly increased in the last decades.

Aims: To evaluate the infection by S.

Scedosporium apiospermum eumycetoma successfully treated with oral voriconazole: report of a case and review of the Brazilian reports on scedosporiosis.

We describe a case of white-grain eumycetoma caused by Scedosporium apiospermum in an immunocompetent host that was successfully treated with oral voriconazole, and we review the Brazilian reports on scedosporiosis.