Rhinocerebral zygomycosis caused by Saksenaea vasiformis

Abstract

A fatal rhinocerebral zygomycotic infection caused by Saksenaea vasiformis in a 71-year-old man was diagnosed based on the presence of broad, infrequently septate, branched, hyaline hyphae in tissue obtained from the right and left base of the skull, soft tissue, both maxillary sinuses and the sphenoid sinus; isolation of S. vasiformis from the tissue; and demonstration of mucoraceous antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Fluorescent antibody studies carried out with a Rhizopus arrhizus conjugate, stained hyphal fragments in tissue with a 2+ intensity.