Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia in an immunocompromised patient not treated with Saccharomyces boulardii preparation

Graf, C.; Gavazzi, G.

doi:10.1016/j.jinf.2006.01.019

This paper describes a case of Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungaemia in a 66-year-old woman with gastric adenocarcinoma, who underwent chemotherapy and surgical procedures involving multiple organs [Switzerland]. She also received a central venous catheter (CVC) for total parenteral nutrition. Thirteen days after receiving a new palliative chemotherapy cycle, she developed fever. Examination of peripheral and CVC blood cultures showed the growth of S. cerevisiae. Despite antifungal treatment, the patient died 2 months after the onset of fungaemia. The possibility of having contracted S. cerevisiae from a patient in the neighbouring room who was treated with a Saccharomyces boulardii (assumed to be a subtype of S. cerevisiae) powder for Clostridium difficile diarrhoea, is discussed.