Invasive fungal disease in hemato-oncological and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients from Hospital Clinico Universidad Católica, Santiago-Chile using revised EORTC/MSG diagnostic criteria

Abstract

Invasive fungal disease (IFD) is a severe complication occurring mostly in haematooncological (H-O) patients and hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) receptors. Our aim was to describe the IFD occurring in our H-O and HSCT patients according to the EORTC/MSG revised criteria. IFD surveillance was performed in adult patients of the Hospital Clínico Universidad Catolica, Santiago, Chile, from January 2004 to January 2008. A total of 41 IFD episodes were identified in 39 patients; mean age was 46.6 +/- 9.9 years, and 87.8% and 12.2% occurred in H-O and HCTS patients respectively. 15/41(36.6%) episodes were proven, 36.6% probable and 11/41 (26.8%) possible. In 26 (63.4%) episodes aspergillosis was diagnosed (20 pulmonary, 3 sinus, 1 laryngeal and 1 case with pulmonary and cerebral involvement). In 7 patients (17.1%) candidiasis was diagnosed, 5 with a proven bloodstream infection and 2 with possible hepatosplenic candidiasis; mucormyeosis was diagnosed in 4 (9.8%) Fusarium infection was demonstrated in 2 patients (4.9%), and Mucor and Aspergillus pulmonary coinfection and Alternaria sp rhino-sinusitis in one patient each. The frequency of IFD among febrile neutropenic patients was 26.2% and 6.4% in H-O and HSCT receptors respectively. The overall mortality was 36%. Aspergillosis is the most common IFD infection among H-O patients and HSCT receptors in our center. Candidiasis followed although only in H-O patients most probably because of routine use of antifungal prophylaxis in HSCT recipients. Continuous surveillance is required to develop local guidelines and to evaluate antifungal strategies in different clinical scenarios.