Fatal cerebral phaeohyphomycosis due to Curvularia lunata in an immunocompetent patient

J Clin Microbiol. 2004 Nov;42(11):5419-23. doi: 10.1128/JCM.42.11.5419-5423.2004.

Abstract

Curvularia infections in humans are relatively uncommon despite the ubiquitous presence of this soil-dwelling dematiaceous fungus in the environment. Originally thought to be solely a pathogen of plants, Curvularia has been described as a pathogen of humans and animals in the last half-century, causing respiratory tract, cutaneous, and corneal infections. Only three previous cases of central nervous system involvement by Curvularia have been documented in the medical literature. We report a fatal case of cerebral Curvularia infection in which there was no known history of immunocompromise or prior respiratory tract or sinus infection in the patient.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Ascomycota / isolation & purification*
  • Brain / microbiology
  • Brain / pathology
  • Brain Diseases / microbiology*
  • Brain Diseases / pathology*
  • Central Nervous System Fungal Infections / microbiology*
  • Central Nervous System Fungal Infections / pathology*
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Humans
  • Immunocompetence
  • Male