Invasive fungal disease presenting as septic shock in immunocompromised pediatric and adult patients: summary of reported cases

Abstract

Introduction: Septic shock is a very rare presentation of invasive fungal disease (IFD) in immunocompromised patients. The objective of this paper was to summarize reported cases of pediatric and adult patients with IFD presenting as septic shock in non- Candida infections. Literature data describing etiology, age, and outcome of septic shock as a presentation of IFD, is summarized. Material and methods: The available pediatric data included 23 patients, most of them with underlying non-hematological disease. Results: Only 6/23 (26.1%) were reported to survive this infection. Respective data in adults with invasive fungal disease presenting as septic shock were reported in 28 patients. Most of these patients were treated for acute leukemias (including three patients after hematopoietic cell transplantation); only 5/28 (17.9%) survived the infection. Conclusion: Invasive fungal disease presenting as septic shock in immunocompromised patients is a highly unusual presentation.