INVASIVE ZYGOMYCOSIS DUE TO CONIDIOBOLUS-INCONGRUUS

During the past decade, an increasing spectrum of pathogenic Zygomycet es fungi have caused infections in humans. The preponderance of these deeply invasive infections have been caused by members of the order Mu corales. However, deeply invasive zygomycoses due to genera of the ord er Entomophthorales (Conidiobolus species and Basidiobolus species) ha ve seldom been reported. We describe a granulocytopenic patient with p ulmonary and pericardial zygomycosis due to Conidiobolus incongruus, d escribe this organism's susceptibility to antifungal agents, character ize its diagnostic microbiological characteristics, and review previou sly reported cases of deeply invasive zygomycosis due to Conidiobolus species. In immunocompromised patients, C. incongruus is an uncommon b ut highly invasive fungal pathogen that may be resistant to amphoteric in B and fan be distinguished from other Zygomycetes fungi by characte ristic mycological features.