Successful treatment of Paecilomyces varioti infection in a patient with chronic granulomatous disease and a review of Paecilomyces species infections

Abstract

An 8-year-old boy who had chronic granulomatous disease developed a soft tissue infection of the right heel after riding on a motor scooter. Infection was insidious, and minor heel pain and fevers occurred only on the day interferon-gamma was injected. Soft tissue biopsy showed hyphal elements, and Paecilomyces varioti grew in culture. The infection was treated with amphotericin B for 7 weeks (total dose, 40 mg/kg) followed by 1 year of therapy with itraconazole (100 mg twice daily). Complete cure was achieved during the follow-up period of 10 months.