American Society for Microbiology, Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 1(49), p. 461-465, 2011
DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01213-10
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ABSTRACT Hormographiella aspergillata , a filamentous basidiomycete, has rarely been involved in human infections. We describe 2 febrile neutropenic patients who developed a severe pulmonary infection due to H. aspergillata while receiving empirical caspofungin therapy for presumed fungal pneumonia. After introduction of liposomal amphotericin B, one patient, who had neutrophil recovery, presented a favorable outcome, while the other, who remained neutropenic throughout the course of infection, died. Resistant fungi, including basidiomycetes, may emerge during empirical treatment with caspofungin in febrile neutropenic patients. A rapid switch to any other potent antifungal should be rapidly considered in case of failure of caspofungin in this setting.