Ann Lab Med.  2012 May;32(3):225-228. 10.3343/alm.2012.32.3.225.

The First Korean Case of Candidemia due to Candida dubliniensis

• Yu N
• Kim HR
• Lee MK

• KMID: 1381690
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3343/alm.2012.32.3.225

Abstract

Candidemia due to uncommon Candida spp. appears to be increasing in incidence. C. dubliniensis has been increasingly recovered from individuals not infected with HIV. Identification of C. dubliniensis can be problematic in routine clinical practice due to its phenotypic resemblance to C. albicans. We report the first case of C. dubliniensis candidemia in Korea, which occurred in a 64-yr-old woman who presented with partial seizure, drowsiness, and recurrent fever. Germ-tube positive yeast that was isolated from blood and central venous catheter tip cultures formed smooth, white colonies on sheep blood agar and Sabouraud agar plates, indicative of Candida spp. C. dubliniensis was identified using the Vitek 2 system (bioMerieux, USA), latex agglutination, chromogenic agar, and multiplex PCR. The blood isolate was susceptible to flucytosine, fluconazole, voriconazole, and amphotericin B. After removal of the central venous catheter and initiation of fluconazole treatment, the patient's condition gradually improved, and she was cleared for discharge from our hospital. Both clinicians and microbiologists should be aware of predisposing factors to C. dubliniensis candidemia in order to promote early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Keyword

Candida dubliniensis; Candidemia; Latex agglutination; Multiplex PCR

MeSH Terms

Amphotericin B/pharmacology
Antifungal Agents/pharmacology/therapeutic use
Candida/drug effects/*isolation & purification
Candidemia/*diagnosis/drug therapy
Catheterization, Central Venous
Female
Fluconazole/pharmacology/therapeutic use
Flucytosine/pharmacology
Humans
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Middle Aged
Pyrimidines/pharmacology
Triazoles/pharmacology

Figure

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  Fig. 1 (A) Candida dubliniensis and (B) Candida albicans ATCC 14053 showing germ tube formation in human pooled serum (×1,000).

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  Fig. 2 Candida dubliniensis on CHROMagar Candida plate incubated at 35℃ for 48 hr (left, C. dubliniensis; right, C. albicans).

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  Fig. 3 Latex agglutination test for Candida dubliniensis: left, C. dubliniensis; middle, C. glabrata; right, C. albicans.

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