CATHETER-RELATED INFECTIONS BY HANSENULA-ANOMALA IN CHILDREN

During August and September, 1992, we experienced 4 cases of Hansenula anomala (H. anomala, synonym Pichia anomala) fungemia in immunocompro mised patients. Two patients had been suffering from a malignant disea se, 3 of them had received broad-spectrum antibiotics acid a central v enous catheter (CVC) had been inserted in all of them. H. anomala was isolated as the sole pathogen from all 4 patients. Three of them respo nded favorably to fluconazole after withdrawal of the catheter, but on e failed. H. anomala should be considered as a possible cause of cathe ter-related infections.