[Trichosporon capitatum septicemia in immunosuppressed patients]

Abstract

Disseminated Trichosporon capitatum infections are seldom reported. We observed 3 cases in leukemic patients within 4 months. All 3 patients were granulocytopenic. One of them was also treated with cyclosporine and methyl-prednisolone after an allogenic bone marrow transplant. The portal of entry was certainly the digestive tract as Tr. capitatum have been isolated in the stool before the septicemia. All 3 patients were previously treated with an azole antifungal compound. The part of this treatment in the emergence of Tr. capitatum in the digestive tract and in the occurrence of the septicemia must be considered. As Tr. capitatum are usually sensitive to the azole compounds the explanation may be a too low daily dosage for the treatment of severely immunocompromised hosts.