The incidence of disseminated infection with Scedosporium species is increasing in patients with haematological malignancy. Two fatal cases are reported of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia and neutropenia who presented with Scedosporium endophthalmitis. Diagnosis of fungal infection was delayed as blood and vitreous cultures were positive only after 3 days in patient 1 and blood culture was positive at 7 days in patient 2. Despite antifungal therapy with amphotericin B and additional fluconazole in patient 2, both patients died of overwhelming fungal septicaemia. Post-mortem examination of the right globe in patient 1 showed haemorrhagic necrotizing chorioretinitis with numerous fungal hyphae in choroidal vessels, choroid, retina and vitreous. Scedosporium species are often resistant to conventional antifungal therapy including amphotericin B. Diagnosis is difficult and mortality in disseminated infection is high.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.