Transient fungemia due to Rhodotorula rubra in a cancer patient: Case report and review of the literature

A unique case of Rhodotorula rubra transient fungemia in a post-chemotherap y, febrile neutropenic patient with colon cancer, suffering from gastrointe stinal mucositis, is described, The fungus was isolated repeatedly from his blood. However, all signs and symptoms of the infection disappeared, witho ut antifungal treatment, as soon as neutropenia and mucositis, both of shor t duration, resolved. Restoration of the patient's defense mechanisms was a dequate for disappearance of the fungus from the patient's blood and full r ecovery.