Successful management of disseminated Fusarium infection in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia

Abstract

Background: Invasive fungal infections cause signifi cant morbidity and mortality in patients with hematologic malignancies and in recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Case: We report a patient with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia who developed disseminated Fusarium infection during the neutropenic period following the salvage cycle of chemotherapy given at King Fahad specialist Hospital in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The invasive fungal infection was successfully managed with a combination of voriconazole and liposomal amphotericin-B. Discussion: Fusarium species can cause invasive infections that may become disseminated and life-threatening in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Conclusion: Combined antifungal therapy and recovery of neutrophil count are essential to control invasive Fusarium infections.