Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of VCZ was 0.19 mg l−1, of PCZ 1.5 mg l−1 and of CAS 32 mg l−1. Two additional Scedosporium strains were re-isolated from the infected site, when patient was ten days and three weeks under VCZ therapy, respectively. Osteomyelitis by Pseudallescheria/Scedosporium is characterised by slow progression, often with a delay of months between probable inoculation, first symptoms and final isolation of the fungus from clinical

samples.8,19 The most frequently affected sites are the lower limbs, especially the knee joints leading to arthritis.6,8,20,21 The infection nearly exclusively results from trauma involving foreign bodies or soil.6,19,21 The habitat of the aetiological agents is contaminated soil particles or street oil and refuse and therefore CB-839 Pseudallescheria/Scedosporium infection pose an extra risk factor for patients suffering from traffic accidents and other major traumata.22 Due to its slow progression the fungus is isolated from deep tissue samples only in a late stage of infection. In routine diagnostics selleck inhibitor the infection may be overlooked by using exclusively

full media. Maybe the usage of a semi-selective media, such as, SceSel+ would have resulted in an early Scedosporium-positive culture technical proof.23 In our case the microbiological laboratory incubated the samples for 72 h, which is not enough to recover most filamentous fungi other than Aspergillus, and hence the result was evaluated as negative. Only due to the absence of clinical improvement and multiple

antibiotic therapy failures, repeated attempts finally yielded Pseudallescheria/Scedosporium. Other authors recommended incubating culture plates for at least 14 days.22,24 Apparently the fungus needs a sufficient biomass in tissue for successful germination on culture media. The Pseudallescheria/Scedosporium complex has recently been subdivided into a number of taxa, which seem to differ in virulence,3 but statistical data of case studies are needed to corroborate this hypothesis. Pseudallescheria apiosperma and P. boydii represent the most common species involved in human Methane monooxygenase infections.25 Stipeli et al. [8] described a post-traumatic infection by P. apiospermum in a 10-year-old immunocompetent girl. She was cured with long-term intravenous voriconazole administration. Kooijman et al. [6] reported osteomyelitis due to Scedosporium aurantiacum in an immunocompetent man after major trauma. The patient developed a fistula and an osteomyelitis under antibiotic treatment. Also this patient was cured by surgical debridement, wound cleaning and long-term voriconazole therapy. Most Pseudallescheria/Scedosporium species other than S. prolificans are susceptible to VCZ and case studies report good patient outcomes.26 Using Etest® our strain had in vitro low MICs (MIC 0.19 mg l−1 and 0.25 mg l−1) and therefore VCZ was used to treat the patient.