BACKGROUNDIn our clinical practice we have been attracted by a group of patients with airway aspergillosis who have airway obstruction; we termed the condition as pseudomembranous necrotizing tracheobronchial aspergillosis (PNTA). In this study we analyzed the clinical data from patients with PNTA, so as to guide the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

METHODSA total of 16 PNTA patients were treated in Changhai Hospital from January 2000 to January 2009. Their clinical data, including the demographic information, clinical symptoms, imaging findings, bronchoscopy findings, treatment strategies and efficacy, and prognosis, were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSAll 16 patients were found to have primary systemic immunodeficiency diseases and/or damage of the focal airways. Nine patients (9/16, 56.3%) had pulmonary and tracheobronchial tumors, 5/16 (31.3%) had tracheobronchial involvement secondary to non-pulmonary tumors, and 2/16 (12.5%) had lung transplantation. The most common causes of PNTA included local radiotherapy (10/16, 62.5%), repeated chemotherapy (7/16, 43.8%) and recurrent intervention therapy by bronchoscope (4/16, 25.0%). Aspergillus fumigatus was the most frequent pathogen (62.5%, 10/16). The main clinical manifestations included progressive dyspnea (14/16, 87.5%) and irritable cough (12/16, 75.0%). The trachea was involved in 9/16 patients (56.3%), right main bronchus in 10/16 (62.5%). All 16 patients were treated with systemic anti-aspergillosis agents, local anti-aspergillosis agents with amphotericin B inhalation and direct perfusion of amphotericin B by bronchoscope, and interventional treatment by bronchoscope to ensure an unobstructed airway. The total efficiency was 31.3%.

CONCLUSIONSPNTA is an infectious disease caused by aspergillus and it mainly involves the trachea, primary bronchus and segmental bronchus. A. fumigatus is the most common pathogen. PNTA can pose a severe clinical threat and often occurs after systemic immunodeficiency and/or local airway damage, with the main symptoms including dyspnea and irritable cough. Bronchoscopic findings supply the main evidence for diagnosis of PNTA. Treatment of PNTA is difficult and requires a long course. Systemic and local anti-aspergillosis agents plus bronchoscopy debridement can improve the prognosis of the disease.

Adult ; Aged ; Amphotericin B ; therapeutic use ; Antifungal Agents ; therapeutic use ; Aspergillosis ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Bronchoscopy ; Echinocandins ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Itraconazole ; therapeutic use ; Lipopeptides ; Lung Diseases, Fungal ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pyrimidines ; therapeutic use ; Triazoles ; therapeutic use ; Voriconazole

Isolated fungal soft-tissue infections are uncommon, but may cause severe morbidity or mortality. Aspergillosis infection is rare, but the frequency in increasing over the last two decades. Here, we present a patient with utaneous aspergillosis of his right elbow with unusual clinical and radiological features suggestive of a malignant disease, which remained undiagnosed for an extended period of time. The patient presented with necrotic, black-colored skin ulcerations. We completely removed the skin ulcer with the surrounding erythematous skin lesion, and then we reconstructed the area with thoracodorsal perforator free flap. The biopsy specimen contained septate hyphae with dichotomous branching, which is morphologically consistent with a finding of Aspergillus. After surgery, we initiated antifungal medication therapy with amphotericin B and itraconazole. At the time of follow-up, the elbow with the reconstructed flap had fully healed, and no recurrent disease was found.
Amphotericin B/therapeutic use ; Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use ; Aspergillosis/*therapy ; Biopsy ; Humans ; Itraconazole/therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Skin Diseases/*surgery ; *Surgical Flaps ; Treatment Outcome

Objective: To investigate the clinical manifestations, treatments, and prognosis of pediatric patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection. Methods: In this retrospective study, 7 children diagnosed with Talaromyces marneffei infection in Shenzhen Children's Hospital from July 2017 to October 2021 were recruited. The clinical features, radiology, pathogen detection, immunological evaluation, treatments, and prognosis were analyzed. Results: In 7 cases, 5 were male, 2 were females. The age was from 0.75 to 8.75 years. The main clinical manifestations were fever in 7 cases, cough in 6 cases, malnutrition in 4 cases, papules in 2 cases and medical history of recurrent infection in 3 cases. Physical examination showed that all 7 patients had hepatosplenomegaly, 4 had superficial lymphadenopathy. Laboratory examination showed that 6 cases had decreased hemoglobin and 3 cases had decreased platelet. Chest CT showed that 4 cases had patchy shadows, pleural effusion, mediastinal or axillary lymph node enlargement, 3 had nodular shadows and 2 had cavities. The positive ratio of Talaromyces marneffei culture was 2/2 with tissue samples, 4/5 with bone marrow. The positive ratio was 3/4 by metagenomic next generation sequencing. The fungus was detected in 3 cases by smear microscopy of bone marrow and (or) peripheral blood. All patients were negative for human immunodeficiency virus by the immune function assay. However, 5 cases were confirmed as primary immunodeficiency disease, including 2 cases with high IgM syndrome, 2 with STAT1 gene variation, and the last with severe combined immunodeficiency (IL2RG gene variation). Exclude 1 case which gave up treatment due to acute intracranial infection, and the other patients received effective treatments along with amphotericin B, voriconazole, and itraconazole alone or in combination. Two cases relapsed after medication withdrawal, but 1 case got complete rehabilitation after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Conclusions: The clinical manifestations involve multisystem, the common charateristics are fever and cough. The chest CT imaging manifestations are diverse, it should be considered in differentiating tuberculosis. The amphotericin B, voriconazole and itraconazole are effective, but it will easily relapse when withdrawing those antifungal agents.
Amphotericin B/therapeutic use* ; Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cough ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Infant ; Itraconazole/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Mycoses ; Retrospective Studies ; Talaromyces ; Voriconazole

PURPOSE: To identify prognostic factors for the outcomes of empirical antifungal therapy, we performed a multicenter, prospective, observational study in immunocompromised patients with hematological malignancies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred seventy-six patients (median age of 48) who had neutropenic fever and who received intravenous (IV) itraconazole as an empirical antifungal therapy for 3 or more days were analyzed. The patients with possible or probable categories of invasive fungal disease (IFD) were enrolled. RESULTS: The overall success rate was 51.3% (196/376). Age >50 years, underlying lung disease (co-morbidity), poor performance status [Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) > or =2], radiologic evidence of IFD, longer duration of baseline neutropenic fever (> or =4 days), no antifungal prophylaxis or prophylactic use of antifungal agents other than itraconazole, and high tumor burden were associated with decreased success rate in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, age >50 years (p=0.009) and poor ECOG performance status (p=0.005) were significantly associated with poor outcomes of empirical antifungal therapy. Twenty-two patients (5.9%) discontinued itraconazole therapy due to toxicity. CONCLUSION: We concluded that empirical antifungal therapy with IV itraconazole in immunocompromised patients is effective and safe. Additionally, age over 50 years and poor performance status were poor prognostic factors for the outcomes of empirical antifungal therapy with IV itraconazole.
Antifungal Agents/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Female ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Itraconazole/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Republic of Korea

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of itraconazole for secondary prophylaxis of previous proven or probable invasive fungal infection (IFI) in patients undergoing chemotherapy or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in agranulocytosis state.

METHODSA phase IV prospective, open-label, multicenter trial was conducted to evaluate itraconazole (200 mg q12h intravenously d1-2, 200 mg/d) as secondary antifungal prophylaxis in patients (18-65 years old) undergoing chemotherapy or HSCT with previous proven or probable IFI. Itraconazole was started when patients' neutrophils＜1.5 × 10⁹/L, and stopped when chemotherapy patients' neutrophils ＞0.5 × 10⁹/L and stem cell transplant recipients' neutrophils＞1.0 × 10⁹/L. The primary end-point of the study was the incidence of proven, probable or possible IFI.

RESULTSSeventy one patients from November 2008 to September 2010 were enrolled in the trial. The median duration of itraconazole prophylaxis was 14 (4-35) days. No patients died of drug-related toxicity within trial. Five cases occurred IFI during the trial. The cumulative incidence of invasive fungal disease was 7.0%. One patient was withdrawn from the study due to treatment-related adverse events (liver malfunction and severe phlebitis).

CONCLUSIONItraconazole appears to be safe and effective for secondary prophylaxis of systemic fungal infection after chemotherapy and allogeneic HSCT. The observed incidence of 7.0% is considerably lower than the relapse rate reported in historical controls, suggesting that itraconazole is a promising prophylactic agent in this population.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antifungal Agents ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Itraconazole ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycoses ; prevention & control ; Prospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Itraconazole has been used to treat superficial candidal infections in China for 12 years with promising efficacy and safety. This article retrospectively reviewed literatures published in the mainstream journals in China with an attempt to find a reasonable therapy for Chinese populations.
Antifungal Agents ; therapeutic use ; Candidiasis ; drug therapy ; Dermatomycoses ; drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Itraconazole ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomatitis ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Vaginitis ; drug therapy ; microbiology

Scopulariopsis brevicaulis is a soil fungus normally associated with onychomycosis. It causes subcutaneous infection in immunocompromised patients and is rarely isolated from blood. A case of systemic Scopulariopsis brevicaulis infection was reported in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia. The patient developed persistent fever that did not respond to wide spectrum antibiotics and amphotericin B. Scopulariopsis brevicaulis was the only pathogen isolated from blood cultures. The fever subsided with itraconazole and there was no recurrence of fungal infection with prolonged maintenance of oral itraconazole.
Acute Disease ; Antifungal Agents/*therapeutic use ; Immunocompromised Host ; Itraconazole/*therapeutic use ; Leukemia, Myeloid/*complications ; Mycoses/*drug therapy ; Mycoses/*microbiology ; Opportunistic Infections/*drug therapy ; Opportunistic Infections/*microbiology

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the distinctive clinical manifestation of primary aspergillus laryngitis. METHOD: Six cases of primary aspergillus laryngitis in our department were reviewed, among which 3 cases were diabetes patients, and were laryngeal mucosal barrier impairment. 2 cases were smoking, 2 cases were over use of voice and 1 case was gastro-pharyngeal reflux. Refractory hoarseness was the main clinical manifestation of all patients. The prophase treatment with antibiotics and glucocorticoid should breakdown the balance of flora and exacerbate the disease. RESULT: Stop using antibiotics and glucocorticoid and alter to oral administration of itraconazole in 2 to 4 weeks after final diagnosis can effectively cure the disease. No recurrence was found in 6 month to 4 years follow up. CONCLUSION Diffuse hyperemia, pachynsis and scattered lamellar leukasmus of vocal cord were the characteristic physical findings of primary aspergillus laryngitis. Pathology is the major means to get the final diagnosis. Oral administration of itraconazole could be effective.
Adult ; Aged ; Antifungal Agents ; therapeutic use ; Aspergillosis ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Aspergillus ; Female ; Humans ; Itraconazole ; therapeutic use ; Laryngitis ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the clinical datas of thepatients with invasive laryngeal fungal infections in, discuss pathogenesis and treatment methods. METHOD: Eleven cases of invasive laryngeal fmycosis who were collected from September 2006 to February 2010 with electronic laryngoscopy, aspirate smear and culture and tissue biopsy for pathological diagnosis, were restrospectively analyzed. Those patients were received iv fluconazole, treatment of Oxygen Atomization of amphotericin B solution and taking itraconazole orally. The hepatic and renal functions of the patients were monitored in the course of treatment. RESULT: All the cases were diagnosed of invasive laryngeal mycosis. 1 patient showed liver dysfunction in the second week during treatment. And continuing the treatment after using liver protection drugs. All symptoms of the patients were improved and no recurrence happened during the 1-6 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION Invasive laryngeal fmycosis was correlated with occupation exposure, abusing of antibiotics and low immunity. Laryngeal mycosis was Diagnosised mainly depended on the pathological examination. The positive rates of the secretion smear was low. The effects of iv fluconazole, Oxygen Atomization of amphotericin B 2-4 weeks, and 4 weeks of taking itraconazole orally were safety and reliable.
Administration, Oral ; Amphotericin B ; therapeutic use ; Antifungal Agents ; therapeutic use ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; prevention & control ; Fluconazole ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Itraconazole ; therapeutic use ; Laryngeal Diseases ; drug therapy ; etiology ; pathology ; Mycoses ; drug therapy ; etiology ; pathology

PURPOSE: The risk of invasive fungal infection is greater for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) than for autologous transplantation. Therefore, many transplantation centers use antifungal prophylaxis for allogeneic HSCT, however, there exists no standard guidelines or consensus regarding autologous HSCT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective double-blind randomized study was conducted in autologous HSCT recipients who were divided into prophylaxis and empirical treatment groups, and we investigated the efficacy of itraconazole prophylaxis in pediatric autologous HSCT. RESULTS: Total 87 autologous HSCT episodes in 55 children with high-risk solid tumors were studied. No invasive fungal infections occurred in either group. However, patients in the prophylaxis group had a significantly shorter duration of fever (p < 0.05) and received antibacterial treatment of shorter duration (p < 0.05) with fewer numbers of antibiotics (p < 0.05 for the use of second line antibiotics) than those in the empirical group. No significant additional adverse events were found with itraconazole prophylaxis. CONCLUSION: Although beneficial effects such as a shorter duration of fever and reduced need for antibiotic use were observed in the prophylaxis group, the results were not sufficient to draw a definite recommendation about the routine use of antifungal prophylaxis in pediatric autologous HSCT recipients with high-risk solid tumors (Trial registration: NCT00336531).
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Antifungal Agents/*therapeutic use ; Child, Preschool ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Double-Blind Method ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/*adverse effects ; Humans ; Itraconazole/*therapeutic use ; Mycoses/*prevention & control ; Neoplasms/*surgery ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Treatment Outcome