Fatal aortic Myceliophthora thermophila infection in a patient affected by cystic medial necrosis

A 22-year-old Italian woman developed fungal aortitis after cardiac surgery for aortic insufficiency. She experienced two episodes of septic embolization and subsequently underwent replacement of the aortic root and initial ascending aorta by a homograft. The lumina of the ascending aorta, aortic ar...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medical mycology (Oxford) 1998-04, Vol.36 (2), p.113-118
Main Authors: Farina, C., Gamba, A., Tambini, R., Beguin, H., Trouillet, J.L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aorta, Thoracic - pathology
Aortic Diseases - etiology
Aortic Diseases - microbiology
Aortic Diseases - pathology
Aortic Valve Insufficiency - surgery
Biological and medical sciences
Cysts - microbiology
Cysts - pathology
Fatal Outcome
Female
Fungemia - etiology
Fungemia - microbiology
Human mycoses
Humans
Hyphomycetes
Infectious diseases
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous mycoses
Mitosporic Fungi - classification
Mitosporic Fungi - isolation & purification
Myceliophthora thermophila
Mycoses
Mycoses - etiology
Mycoses - pathology
Necrosis
Transplantation, Autologous
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Summary:A 22-year-old Italian woman developed fungal aortitis after cardiac surgery for aortic insufficiency. She experienced two episodes of septic embolization and subsequently underwent replacement of the aortic root and initial ascending aorta by a homograft. The lumina of the ascending aorta, aortic arch and the origin of the innominate artery were completely filled with vegetation. From the involved tissue the phaeoid thermophilic hyphomycete Myceliophthora thermophila (Apinis) van Oorschot was isolated in pure culture. This is the second report of isolation of this fungus from humans and the first isolation of a human pathogenic strain of M. thermophila causing fatal vasculitis in a patient affected by cystic medial necrosis. A detailed morphological description of the isolate is also provided.
ISSN:1369-3786
1460-2709
DOI:10.1080/02681219880000181