CATHETER-RELATED CUTANEOUS ASPERGILLOSIS COMPLICATED BY FUNGEMIA AND FATAL PULMONARY INFECTION IN AN HIV-POSITIVE PATIENT WITH ACUTE LYMPHOCYTIC-LEUKEMIA

A case of intravenous catheter-related cutaneous aspergillosis and Asp ergillus fumigatus fungemia in an HIV-positive patient with Burkitt-ce ll acute lymphocytic leukemia is reported. The patient developed pulmo nary aspergillosis with a rapidly fatal outcome despite recovery from neutropenia and improvement of the underlying malignancy. The unusual severity and rapid spread of the infection, despite normal neutrophil count and prompt antifungal therapy, suggest that HIV-related immunoco mpromise might play a role in the impairment of host defences against Aspergillus infection. Thus catheter-related cutaneous aspergillosis c ould lead to a severe deep-seated infection in HIV-positive patients.