ABSTRACT
In 2014, ISHAM formed a new working group: "Medical Phycology: Protothecosis and Chlorellosis." The purpose of this working group is to help facilitate collaboration and communication among people interested in the pathogenic algae, to share ideas and work together. Here we present reports on recent work we have done in five areas. 1. The history of medical phycology as a branch of science. 2. Aspects of the genetics of Prototheca. 3. Aspects of the proteins of Prototheca. 4. Human infections caused by Prototheca. 5. Dairy cow mastitis caused by Prototheca.
Subject(s)
Chlorella , Prototheca , Animals , Chlorella/genetics , Chlorella/pathogenicity , Genotype , Humans , Infections , Molecular Typing , Prototheca/genetics , Prototheca/pathogenicityABSTRACT
We present a Prototheca wickerhamii wound infection case that failed treatment with ketoconazole but was cured with amphotericin-B plus tetracycline. The patient was immunocompetent but had had local steroid injections. We reviewed another 159 cases from the literature. Prototheca has infected many areas of the human body, but most often skin, olecranon bursa, or wounds. Prior treatment with steroids and immune deficiencies are contributing factors. Itraconazole and fluconazole are reasonable initial treatments for patients with mild infections. For serious infections, or for infections that have failed azole treatment, amphotericin-B is the treatment of choice.
Subject(s)
Prototheca/isolation & purification , Prototheca/pathogenicity , Wound Infection/drug therapy , Wound Infection/etiology , Amphotericin B/administration & dosage , Anti-Infective Agents/administration & dosage , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Tetracycline/administration & dosage , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
We recently encountered a patient with thrombocytopenia secondary to multiple drug therapy, disseminated prostatic adenocarcinoma, and sepsis who had a sudden decrease in his platelet count as enumerated by the Cell-DYN 4000 hematology analyzer (Abbott Diagnostics, Santa Clara, CA). A manual platelet count performed thereafter was even lower. The etiology of the spurious platelet count was clarified when numerous yeast forms were observed on routine microscopy of the peripheral blood smear. Subsequently, these organisms were identified as Candida glabrata from a positive blood culture (BACTEC 9240, Becton Dickinson, Cockeysville, MD). To our knowledge, this is the first report of spurious enumeration of yeast forms as platelets in an automated hematology system. The principle underlying platelet enumeration by the Cell-DYN 4000 system and other hematology analyzers and the value of microscopy on peripheral smears with unexpected CBC count results are discussed.
