Disseminated invasive aspergillosis in a patient with acute leukaemia

To access publisher full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links fieldA 46-year-old previously healthy woman was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. The induction phase was complicated by alpha-haemolytic streptococcal bacteremia which responded to antibacterial therapy. Subsequently, the patient developed pneumonie due to Chlamydiapneumoniae which responded to macrolides. Following this infection the patient developed recurrent fever and new pulmonary infiltrates were noted. Bronchoscopy was performed and treatment was administered with liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB, AmBisome) for two days, but was complicated by acute renal failure. Aspergillus fumigatus was cultured from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (three samples). L-AmB was discontinued and voriconazole and caspofungin were administered. Despite aggressive antifungal therapy the patient developed progressive invasive infection, with central nervous system involvement as well as lesions appearing in the kidneys and liver. The patient died one week following the diagnosis of aspergillosis