Absidia corymbifera Fungal Infection in Burns : A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Fungal infection in burn wounds can be difficult to diagnose and manage. A previously reported 10-year experience in burns patients confirms that although a marked decline has occurred in bacterial infection, fungal wound infection rates remain unaffected. Moreover, there is significant morbidity an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of burn care & research 2008-03, Vol.29 (2), p.416-419
Main Authors: CONSTANTINIDES, Joannis, MISRA, Alok, NASSAB, Reza, WILSON, Yvonne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Absidia - isolation & purification
Adult
Amphotericin B - therapeutic use
Antifungal Agents - therapeutic use
Biological and medical sciences
Burns
Burns - complications
Burns - microbiology
Dermatology
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Mucormycosis - drug therapy
Mucormycosis - etiology
Mucormycosis - microbiology
Risk Factors
Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents
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Summary:Fungal infection in burn wounds can be difficult to diagnose and manage. A previously reported 10-year experience in burns patients confirms that although a marked decline has occurred in bacterial infection, fungal wound infection rates remain unaffected. Moreover, there is significant morbidity and mortality associated with fungal infections in patients with extensive burns. Absidia corymbifera is a saprophytic organism, with worldwide distribution, that is primarily isolated from soil as well as decaying vegetation and grass. It is an uncommon pathogen representing only 2 to 3% of all zygomycete infections in humans. The organism is opportunistic, rarely infecting the immunocompetent although such cases have been reported. To our knowledge, there are only two prior reports of A. corymbifera in burns patients. The ability to invade intact skin through proteolytic enzymes as well as the organism's angioinvasive propensity is associated with high mortality and demands a multidisciplinary approach. We present a case report of A. corymbifera infection in a burns patient and review the current literature.
ISSN:1559-047X
1559-0488
DOI:10.1097/BCR.0b013e318166da78