Transient Fungemia Due to Rhodotorula rubra in a Cancer Patient: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

A unique case of Rhodotorula rubra transient fungemia in a post-chemotherapy, febrile neutropenic patient with colon cancer, suffering from gastrointestinal mucositis, is described. The fungus was isolated repeatedly from his blood. However, all signs and symptoms of the infection disappeared, without antifungal treatment, as soon as neutropenia and mucositis, both of short duration, resolved. Restoration of the patient's defense mechanisms was adequate for disappearance of the fungus from the patient's blood and full recovery.

Molecular Identification, Antifungal Susceptibility Profile, and Biofilm Formation of Clinical and Environmental Rhodotorula Species Isolates

“…Rhodotorula species is an emergent pathogen capable of causing invasive infections in humans, particularly in immunocompromised patients (7,9,(27)(28)(29). In spite of the increased number of invasive infections by Rhodotorula species described in the last decades, only a small number of epidemiological studies have used molecular methods for the identification of Rhodotorula species.…”

Infection by Rhodotorula sp. in Children Receiving Treatment for Malignant Diseases

“…Antifungal therapy was not used in three of the patients and only one death occurred, probably not associated with the pathogen. 1,11 Amphotericin B is the drug of choice for the treatment of serious fungemia in immunosuppressed patients. 1,2,5,7,10 For patients with renal impairment and in the absence of venous access, ketoconazole or flucytosine may be used 2 ; the latter may be associated with the rapid development of resistance, and therefore it tends to be used in association with amphotericin B.…”

“…These germs can cause opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] Invasive infections range from transitory, uncomplicated cases of fungemia to potentially fatal cases of endocarditis, meningitis, ventriculitis, and peritonitis. 1,2,8,9 There have been only a few case reports of Rhodotorula fungemia in children with cancer, and all of the patients have had a central venous catheter (CVC) inserted.…”

Antifungal activity of four honeys of different types from Algeria against pathogenic yeast: Candida albicans and Rhodotorula sp.

“…as fungal strains. Results: The range of the diameter of zone of inhibition of various concentrations of tested honeys was (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23) mm) for Rhodotorula sp., while C. albicans showed clearly resistance towards all concentrations used. The MICs of tested honey concentrations against C. albicans and Rhodotorula sp.…”

“…In addition to C. albicans, Rhodotorula sp. has been implicated as the etiologic agent of central venous catheter infection and fungemia [5][6][7][8][9] . In recent years, there has been an increasing search for new antifungal compounds due to the lack of efficacy, side effects and or resistance associated with some of the existing drugs [10][11][12] .…”