A new case of imported disseminated infection with penicillium marneffei revealed by isolated fever

Disseminated infection with Penicillium marneffei common in patients infect ed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Southeast Asia but few import ed cases have been reported in Europe. We report one case of P. marneffei i n a patient infected with HIV who had lived in endemic rural areas of Thail and as bambou worker. The patient presented unspecific signs (isolated feve r, weight loss and deep abdominal lymphadenopathy), confirmed by abdominal lymph mode and hepatic biopsies, as well as blood and bone marrow cultures. He was treated with amphotericin B for 3 weeks followed by itraconazole 40 0 mg daily, for 4 months with rapid clinical improvement. After 4 months, m aintenance therapy with itraconazole was administered at 200 mg daily and n o relapse was observed after 7 months follow-up. In this patient, itraconaz ole in association with antiretroviral therapy was effective for treatment of P. marneffei.