Invasive Fungal Infection Caused by Magnusiomyces capitatus in an Immunocompromised Pediatric Patient with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Mexico City: A Case Report

Jossue Ortiz-Álvarez, Jesús Reséndiz-Sánchez, Margarita Juárez-Montiel, Juan Alfredo Hernández-García, Edwin Vázquez-Guerrero, César Hernández-Rodríguez, Lourdes Villa-Tanaca

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Magnusiomyces capitatus (also denominated “Geotrichum capitatum” and “the teleomorph stage of Saprochaete capitata”) mainly affects immunocompromised patients with hematological malignancies in rare cases of invasive fungal infections (IFIs). Few cases have been reported for pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), in part because conventional diagnostic methods do not consistently detect M. capitatus in infections. The current contribution describes a systemic infection in a 15-year-old female diagnosed with ALL. She arrived at the Children’s Hospital of Mexico City with a fever and neutropenia and developed symptoms of septic shock 4 days later. M. capitatus ENCB-HI-834, the causal agent, was isolated from the patient’s blood, urine, bile, and peritoneal fluid samples. It was identified with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and a phylogenetic reconstruction using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 28S ribosomal sequences. The phylogenetic sequence of M. capitatus ENCB-HI-834 clustered with other M. capitatus-type strains with a 100% identity. In vitro antifungal testing, conducted with the Sensititre YeastOne susceptibility system, found the following minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values (μg/mL): posaconazole 0.25, amphotericin B 1.0, fluconazole > 8.0, itraconazole 0.25, ketoconazole 0.5, 5-flucytosine ≤ 0.06, voriconazole 0.25, and caspofungin > 16.0. No clinical breakpoints have been defined for M. capitatus. This is the first clinical case reported in Mexico of an IFI caused by M. capitatus in a pediatric patient with ALL. It emphasizes the importance of close monitoring for a timely and accurate diagnosis of neutropenia-related IFIs to determine the proper treatment with antibiotics, antifungals, and chemotherapy for instance including children with ALL.

Original languageEnglish
Article number851
JournalJournal of Fungi
Volume8
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2022

Keywords

  • Geotrichum capitatum
  • ITS and 28S phylogeny
  • MALDI-TOF MS
  • Magnusiomyces capitatus
  • Saprochaete capitata
  • invasive fungal infection (IFI)
  • pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Invasive Fungal Infection Caused by Magnusiomyces capitatus in an Immunocompromised Pediatric Patient with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Mexico City: A Case Report'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this