First reported case of Cladosporium para-aortic abscess

Racha Ibrahim; Zeina Bou Chebel; Rindala Saliba; Racha Eid; Mahdi Al Sayyed Kassem; Victor Jebara; Jacques Choucair

doi:10.1016/j.idcr.2022.e01423

First reported case of Cladosporium para-aortic abscess

IDCases. 2022 Jan 24:27:e01423. doi: 10.1016/j.idcr.2022.e01423. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Racha Ibrahim¹, Zeina Bou Chebel¹, Rindala Saliba², Racha Eid², Mahdi Al Sayyed Kassem³, Victor Jebara³, Jacques Choucair¹

Affiliations

¹ Hotel-Dieu de France, St Joseph University, Infectious Disease Department, Beirut, Lebanon.
² Hotel-Dieu de France, St Joseph University, Microbiology Laboratory, Beirut, Lebanon.
³ Hotel-Dieu de France, St Joseph University, Thoracic and Cardio-Vascular Surgery Department, Beirut, Lebanon.

Abstract

Cladosporium species are ubiquitous dematiaceous fungi, widely found in the indoor and outdoor environments. They are considered a frequent source of contamination in laboratory settings. In human pathology, Cladosporium is a main agent of phaeohyphomycosis, known to cause subcutaneous and brain abscess, especially in immunocompromised hosts. The route of disseminated infections is mainly hematogenous after inhalation of the spores. However, a direct inoculation could be possible. We report the first case of a para-aortic abscess with thrombus formation, caused by Cladosporium spp., after a valvular replacement surgery, in an immunocompetent patient. This raises the alarm about the rapid identification of the source of contamination in the operating room, in order to prevent the emergence of further fatal infections.

Keywords: Cladosporium; Contamination; Fungal; Para-aortic abscess; Surgery.

Publication types

Case Reports