INTRALUMINAL FUNGAL COLONIZATION OF GASTROSTOMY TUBES

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes are frequently colonized wit h fungal and bacterial organisms. This has not been previously reporte d. In our sample of 10 patients, nine percutaneous endoscopic gastrost omy tubes were colonized with fungi. This occurred as early as 1 week after placement. Candida tropicalis was isolated in five patients. It is hypothesized that a variety of fungi use components of the gastrost omy tube polymer, such as polymer additives, which contributes to the structural deterioration of the tube.