Fusarium napiforme systemic infection: case report with molecular characterization and antifungal susceptibility tests

INTRODUCTION: During the last decades, Fusarium spp. has been reported as a significant cause of disease in humans, especially in immunocompromised patients, who have high risk of invasive life-threatening disease. Fusarium species usually reported as cause of human disease are F. solani, F. oxysporum and F. verticillioides. CASE DESCRIPTION: We describe the second case in the literature of disseminated fusariosis caused by Fusarium napiforme, that occurred in a 60-year-old woman with multiple myeloma after subsequent cycles of chemotherapy. DISCUSSION AND EVALUATION: We identified the F. napiforme not only by standard morphologic criteria by macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, but also confirmed by molecular biology methods, including sequencing. The antifungal susceptibility of the F. napiforme isolates were tested to seven antifungal drugs; the azoles were the most active drug against all the isolates tested. CONCLUSIONS: Fusarium spp. are of relevance in medical mycology, and their profiles of low susceptibility to antifungal drugs highlight the importance for faster and more accurate diagnostic tests, what can contribute to an earlier and precise diagnosis and treatment.