Local Fungal Infection Research Articles

The surgical management of fungal pulmonary infections in children with acute myelogenous leukemia

Infections are the primary cause of complications and death in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia. Current aggressive treatment protocols have improved patient survival but produce extended periods of profound neutropenia during which the patients are particularly susceptible to opportunistic infections. Candida and Aspergillus species are the most common of the fungi causing invasive infections in these patients. In a group of 77 previously untreated children with acute myelogenous leukemia begun on treatment from March 1976 to June 1984, four patients developed localized fungal infections of the lung. These initially appeared as pulmonary infiltrates on chest roentgenograms during periods of severe neutropenia (three during remission induction and one after intensive consolidation therapy). Endobronchial cultures failed to identify the infectious organism in all cases. Computerized axial tomography best defined the cavitary nature of the lesions in 2 patients. All four patients underwent surgical resection, both to establish a diagnosis (three patients) and as part of therapy. There was no operative morbidity. The organisms involved were Aspergillus (2), Torulopsis (1), and Penicillium (1). Three patients were cured of their fungal infections. The fourth patient failed to enter remission and died of a cerebral fungal abscess that developed shortly after thoracotomy. We report these cases to encourage early surgical intervention in leukemics with a localized pulmonary process consistent with a fungal infection. Resection of the primary focus obviates the risk of life threatening pulmonary hemorrhage or dissemination of the fungus and allows for early reinstitution of chemotherapy which is vital to these patients' survival.

Indium 111 WBC Scan in Local and Systemic Fungal Infections

We describe two patients-one with a systemic fungal infection and one with a localized form-who had strikingly abnormal indium 111 leukocyte (WBC) scans. The patient with systemic disease had an abnormal WBC scan before lesions became clinically apparent.

Silicone mastitis in "topless" waitresses and some other varieties of foreign-body mastitis.

Three cases of disfiguring prosthetogenic mastitis are reported.In two of the cases repeated injections of silicone fluid were followed by extensive bilateral granulomatous mastitis. The axillary lymph nodes were enlarged in both cases: in one of them a node was examined histologically and showed a remarkable proliferation of vacuolated histiocytes in the sinuses and medulla. Both patients had worked in "topless restaurants" and had been obliged to seek artificial means to maintain the excessively large bust that was necessary in that environment.The third patient's mastitis followed implantation of polyethylene prostheses designed to be varied in bulk by injection or withdrawal of saline. A foreign-body reaction developed round the prostheses. In addition, a sinus developed in a needle track on one side; this was accompanied by a local fungal and bacterial infection (Rhizopus species and Pseudomonas pyocyanea respectively).The indications for introducing foreign materials into the breasts to augment their size have to be weighed against the potential dangers that such procedures bring. The biological effects of injected silicones, particularly their long-term effects, are very imperfectly known. Statements implying that these compounds are harmless when injected are not correct. Among the hazards are (a) local sclerosing granulomatous reactions with permanent scarring, (b) histiocytosis secondary to carriage of silicones from their site of inoculation to regional lymph nodes and possibly to other parts of the lymphoreticular system, and, perhaps, (c) carcinogenic activity.