Disseminated Geosmithia argillacea Infection in a Patient with Ph-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Invasive fungal infection (IFI) remains the major complication in patients with either acute leukemia, allogeneic stem cell transplantation setting, or both, especially regarding pulmonary localization. We report an experience of a 74-year-old Caucasian male with a Philadelphia-positive (BCR-ABL p190) Common B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who developed a pulmonary infection due to Geosmithia argillacea. Furthermore, we describe the management of this complication and the results of microbiological tests useful to guide the treatment. All cases reported show failure of voriconazole treatment. In the majority of cases a good susceptibility to posaconazole has been reported, which seems to have a good clinical impact; however, only L-AmB shows a clinical effect to produce quick clinical improvement and so it should be a drug of choice. A literature revision shows that only a few papers have thus far described this infection, at present only one case was reported in a hematological setting like a gastrointestinal graft versus host disease in an allogeneic HSCT recipient. The severity of clinical conditions in hematological malignancy settings requires improving the management of this emerging invasive fungal infection. Indeed, a molecular diagnostic approach with a tight laboratory collaboration and targeted therapy should become the gold standard.