Microscopic, cultural and molecular evidence of disseminated invasive aspergillosis involving the lungs and the gastrointestinal tract

J Med Microbiol. 2006 Jul;55(Pt 7):961-964. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.46394-0.

Abstract

A patient with acute promyelocytic leukaemia developed invasive aspergillosis post chemotherapy during a pancytopenic episode, clinically involving the lungs and the gastrointestinal tract. Dichotomously branched septate fungal hyphae were demonstrated microscopically in stools and sputa. Cultures of the samples yielded Aspergillus flavus, which were identical by RFLP and random amplification of polymorphic DNA analyses and antifungal MICs, proving disseminated disease. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first time that boluses of fungal hyphae have been demonstrated microscopically in the stools of a patient with gastrointestinal aspergillosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Antifungal Agents / therapeutic use
  • Aspergillosis, Allergic Bronchopulmonary / drug therapy
  • Aspergillosis, Allergic Bronchopulmonary / microbiology*
  • Aspergillus flavus / genetics
  • Aspergillus flavus / growth & development*
  • DNA, Fungal / chemistry
  • DNA, Fungal / genetics
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / drug therapy
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / microbiology*
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / microbiology
  • Lung Diseases, Fungal / drug therapy
  • Lung Diseases, Fungal / microbiology*
  • Male
  • Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique
  • Sputum / microbiology

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • DNA, Fungal