A saprophytic fungus ( Sepedonium) associated with fatal pneumonia in a patient undergoing stem cell transplantation

J Int Med Res. 2017 Aug;45(4):1430-1434. doi: 10.1177/0300060517708103. Epub 2017 Jun 12.

Abstract

Sepedonium sp . is a saprophytic fungus that inhabits soil and plant material. Few cases of infection with this fungus have been reported. We describe a case of a child who received haploidentical stem cell transplantation. The patient developed Sepedonium sp . infection after graft failure accompanied by cytomegalovirus infection. This was associated with two genotypes corresponding to a gB1 and gB3 mixture, which suggested involvement of two strains. Throughout the clinical course, immunosuppression and subsequent development of the fungal infection was observed. Our findings add to the available evidence regarding the potential for acquisition of fungal infection from the environment in patients at high risk because of immunosuppression. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of Sepedonium sp . infection following graft failure accompanied by previous cytomegalovirus infection in a patient with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Keywords: HSCT; Sepedonium; cytomegalovirus; graft failure.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Ascomycota / isolation & purification*
  • Cytomegalovirus Infections / diagnosis*
  • Cytomegalovirus Infections / immunology
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Fungemia / diagnosis
  • Fungemia / immunology
  • Fungemia / microbiology
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Humans
  • Immunocompromised Host
  • Male
  • Mycoses / diagnostic imaging*
  • Mycoses / immunology
  • Mycoses / microbiology
  • Pneumonia / diagnostic imaging*
  • Pneumonia / immunology
  • Pneumonia / microbiology