A case of Aspergillus myocarditis associated with septic shock

We report a case of isolated myocardial involvement due to Aspergillus sp,, in a patient with multiple organ failure but no demonstrable immune defici ency apart from corticosteroid therapy given for the three weeks prior to h ospitalization. This patient died of septic shock 7 days after hospitalizat ion. Aspergillus was isolated only once from a sputum specimen obtained 24h before death. At post-mortem examination there are emboli and myocardial l esions containing clusters of hyphae as Aspergillus confirmed by indirect i mmunofluorescence. The other organs were free of fungi. This observation is remarkable because the cardiac involvement was isolated and no immunodefic iency was present.