Candida pelliculosa sepsis in a neonate: a case report

Candida pelliculosa is a rare fungal cause of neonatal sepsis. Premature and very low birthweight infants are at especially high risk of neonatal fungal infections. There have been no reports of C. pelliculosa infection in Anhui Province, China. Here, we report a case of C. pelliculosa fungemia in a newborn boy admitted 30 minutes after delivery with grunting, cyanosis, and asphyxia. C. pelliculosa was identified as the causative organism using blood culture, DNA sequencing, and mass spectrometric analysis. After 20 days of fluconazole therapy, the patient’s symptoms stabilized. Together with other relevant literature, this report provides evidence that premature neonates are at increased risk of fungal infections and that C. pelliculosa fungemia should be diagnosed early using blood cultures to enable effective treatment. Fluconazole may be effective for treating neonates with C. pelliculosa infection.