Phialemonium fungemia: Two documented nosocomial cases

Two fungal isolates recovered from the blood of two immunosuppressed patien ts are described as Phialemonium curvatum. One patient died, while the othe r, who was infected with Exophiala jeanselmei at the same time, survived af ter successful treatment with itraconazole, Analysis of internal transcribe d spacer sequences demonstrated that the isolates belonged to the same stra in and that the source of infection was probably a catheter, The taxonomic position of P. curvatum is discussed, and Phialemonium dimorphosporum is co nsidered a synonym. The in vitro inhibitory activities of six antifungal ag ents (amphotericin B, itraconazole, ketaconazole, miconazole, flucytosine, and fluconazole) sere determined against seven isolates of Phialemonium, Ex cept for flucytosine, all of them were remarkably effective. Phialemonium s hould be added to the list of potential causes of nosocomial fungemia in ca ncer patients.