Clinical and microbiological characteristics of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa infections in a tertiary-Care facility

• Published in: Indian journal of medical microbiology Vol. 32; no. 3; pp. 304 - 309
• Main Authors: Capoor, MR, Aggarwal, S, Raghvan, C, Gupta, DK, Jain, AK, Chaudhary, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Elsevier B.V 01.07.2014; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anti-fungal susceptibility; Antibiotics; Antifungal Agents - pharmacology; Blood - microbiology; Catheters; Central Nervous System Fungal Infections - epidemiology; Central Nervous System Fungal Infections - microbiology; Central Nervous System Fungal Infections - pathology; Central Nervous System Fungal Infections - therapy; Cerebrospinal Fluid - microbiology; Child; Contamination; emergent yeast; Epidemiology; Female; Fungemia - epidemiology; Fungemia - microbiology; Fungemia - pathology; Fungemia - therapy; Hematology; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; immunosuppression; Infections; Male; Medical prognosis; Medical treatment; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Mortality; Patients; Rhodotorula; Rhodotorula - drug effects; Rhodotorula - isolation & purification; Rhodotorula mucilaginosa; Rhodotorula spp; Risk Factors; Studies; Tertiary Care Centers; Yeast; Young Adult; immunosuppression; emergent yeast; Rhodotorula spp; Anti-fungal susceptibility
• ISSN: 0255-0857; 1998-3646
• DOI: 10.4103/0255-0857.136576

Background:Rhodotorula spp. are an emergent opportunistic pathogen, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Materials and Methods: The aim of the study was to review reported cases of Rhodotorula infection over a period of 9 years to determine epidemiology, risk factors, treatment and outcome. Results: The Rhodotorula spp. were isolated from cerebrospinal fluid (9) and blood (5). The most common pre-disposing factors were prolonged hospital stay (>1 month) and prolonged usage of broad-spectrum antibiotics (>1 month). All the isolates were identified as R. mucilaginosa by conventional methods. Amphotericin B demonstrated lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) as compared with other anti-fungal agents (fluconazole, itraconazole and voriconazole). Conclusions: The recognition of unusual yeasts as an agent of life-threatening infection and their intrinsic resistance increases the burden on the mycology laboratory for complete species identification and to determine minimum inhibitory concentration.