ABSTRACT
Invasive aspergillosis is an uncommon but often lethal complication in immunocompromised patients. Despite the progress obtained with new antifungal drugs, intracranial aspergillosis often requires a combined medical and surgical approach. Most cases previously reported in immunocompromised children were fatal. We describe 4 immunosuppressed children with intracranial aspergillosis successfully treated with surgery and antifungal long-term therapy.
Subject(s)
Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use , Aspergillosis/drug therapy , Aspergillosis/surgery , Brain Diseases/drug therapy , Brain Diseases/surgery , Adolescent , Aspergillosis/microbiology , Aspergillus fumigatus/drug effects , Aspergillus fumigatus/isolation & purification , Brain Diseases/microbiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Humans , Male , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the possible link between malfunctioning events and catheter related infections in indwelling central venous devices in children with cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospective observation of 418 devices inserted in 2 Italian tertiary care pediatric cancer centers. The presence of a relationship was identified if a malfunctioning event was followed by a catheter related infection within 10 days, or vice versa. RESULTS: The 418 catheters were followed for a period of 107,012 days. Among the malfunctioning events 2 out of 141 (1%) were followed by a catheter related infection while among infectious episodes 3 out of 93 (3%) were followed by a malfunctioning event. CONCLUSIONS: Malfunctioning events followed by catheter related infections and catheter related infections followed by malfunctioning are both rare events in children with cancer.
