The purpose of this survey was to systematically collect data on individuals with histoplasmosis in Europe over a 5-year period (from January 1995 to December 1999). This included information on where and how the infection was acquired, the patient's risk factors, the causative organism, how the infection was diagnosed and what therapy the patients received. Data were sent on a standardized survey form via a national convenor to the coordinator. During the survey, 118 cases were reported, with 62 patients having disseminated disease, 31 acute pulmonary infection, chronic pulmonary infection in 6 and localized disease in 2 patients. For 17 patients, the diagnosis of histoplasmosis was incidental, usually secondary to investigations for lung cancer. Most patients had travelled to known endemic areas, but 8 patients (from Italy, Germany and Turkey) indicated that they had not been outside their countries of origin and hence these cases appear to be autochthonous. Notable observations during the survey were the reactivation of the disease up to 50 years after the initial infection in some patients and transmission of the infection by a transplanted liver. Itraconazole was the most commonly used therapy in both pulmonary and disseminated disease. The observation of autochthonous cases of disease suggests that the endemic area of histoplasmosis is wider than classically reported and supports continued surveillance of the disease throughout Europe.

Fungal colonization of the esophagus is frequent in ALD patients. Its presence might have clinical significance in the case of liver transplantation.

A case of an isolated subcutaneous coccidioidomycosis in a 61-year-old man is presented. The patient has lived and worked in Arizona for 3 years previously but developed no apparent clinical signs of the disease. The painless, cavitating, tumor-like mass was surgically excised and the diagnosis was established by histological demonstration of the fungi and confirmed by serum counterimmunoelectrophoresis. This represents the first imported case of coccidioidomycosis in Hungary.

The medical interventions (therapy, immunosuppression, surgery, etc.) attached to the organ transplantation make good opportunity to increasing frequency of the fungal colonisation and the development of deep-seated opportunistic mycoses. The fungal cases of 1030 kidneyand 127 liver transplanted patients were investigated in the period of 1995-2001. While the fungal positive culture was only 23% among the kidney transplanted patients, this was 68% in the case of liver transplanted patients. There is a remarkable difference between these two groups in the type of colonisation. While the kidney transplanted patients have two or more fungal positive bodysites/fluids only in 32%, this number was 88% in the case of liver transplanted patients. Most frequently the urine and throat samples were fungal positive. There could not be found an unambiguous correlations between the development and severity of fungal infections and the site and frequency of fungal colonisation. Certain preventive antifungal therapies make the selection of resistant fungal strains and species possible. In this respect the frequent occiirence of Caiidida krusa' in the organ transplanted patients must be taken into consideration as an important factor. PRELIMINARY IN VITROSUSCEPTIBILITY OF MALASSEZZA FURFUR AGAINST ALBACONAZOLE (UR-9825) Purpose: The minimum imhibitory concentrations (MICs) for 10 isolates of Malassezia&rfur of albaconazole (UR-9825) (AZ) were determined and compared with 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC), ketoconazole (KZ), fluconazole (FZ), itraconazole (IZ), and voriconazole (VZ).The strains were isolated from neonates in ICUs. Methods:The assessement was done in microliter plates as described previously elsewhere [I]. Results: All the strains were in vitro resistant to 5-FC (MIC > 64pg.mlk'). KZ and IZ showed always MICs Values < 0.03pg.ml-I. For FZ the range of MICs was between 2 and 4pg.ml-1, and for VZ between < 0.03 and 0.12pg.n11-1. All the straiiis had a MIC value of < 0.06pg.ml-1 against AZ. Conclusions: These preliminary results show the first iri vitro work against a lipophilic yeast of AZ, a new antifungal under development by Uriach & Cia S.A., Barcelona, Spain. AZ shows a favourable in vitro profile when compared with other available systemic antifungals. Deep infections caused by M. & f i r and M. pachydermatis have been reported in special care neonatal units.Currently the management of deep infections due to lipophilic yeasts is not defined although these preliminary data show that AZ might be a potential drug to use in this setting.1 Schmidt A, Kill-Horster B. In vitro susceptibility ofh'alassezia fuifix Objectives: 127 liver and 1030 renal transplantation has been performed at the Semmelweis Medical University, Department of Transplantation and Surgery since 1995. In addition to improving surgical and modern immunsuppression therapy increasing incidence of fungal infection (FI) can be diagnosed after organ transplantation. The immunosuppression, thc prolonged antibiotic treatment, the operating time, reoperation, bac...

23Methods: Candida strains were isolated form clinical specimens and identified via classical microbiological methods (chromogenic plates BioMtrieux, API ID 32C). More than 90 isolates were analyzed, over 90% represented C. nlbicans strains. MICs were determined using