This work aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of piroctone olamine in the treatment of intra-abdominal candidiasis in an experimental model using Swiss mice. The mice (n = 6) were infected by intraperitoneal injection of 0.2 ml of C. albicans (107cells/ml in saline). The animals were observed daily for clinical signs and mortality for 14 days. The treatment with piroctone olamine (0.5 mg/kg) was performed 72 h after infection by intraperitoneal administration. For comparison, a group of animals (n = 6) was treated with amphotericin B (0.5 mg/kg). The mycological diagnosis was made by collecting the liver, spleen and kidneys. Data regarding the fungal growth and mortality were analyzed statistically by Student’s t test and analysis of variance (ANOVA), with level of significance set at P < 0.05. The difference in fungal growth scoring between the control group and the treatment groups (piroctone olamine and amphotericin B) was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The difference in fungal growth scoring between the treatment groups (piroctone olamine and amphotericin B) was not statistically significant (P < 0.05).

Introduction: Fungemia corresponds to the isolation of fungi in the bloodstream and occurs mostly in immunosuppressed patients. The early diagnosis and treatment of these infections are relevant given the serious threat to the affected patients and possible spread to other organs, often becoming fatal. The growing number of fungemia associated with poor prognosis resulted in this research aiming to diagnose and assess the epidemiological aspects of hematogenous infections by fungi. Methods: The study included 58 blood samples collected within a 1-year period, from patients at the Hospital das Clinicas, Federal University of Pernambuco, by venipuncture in vacuum tubes. Blood samples were processed for direct examination and culture and identification, conducted by observing the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, as well as physiological characteristics when necessary. Results: Eight (13.8%) episodes of fungemia were identified, accounting for the total sample, and these pathogens were Candida, Histoplasma, Trichosporon, Cryptococcus, and a dematiaceous fungus. C. albicans was the prevalent species, accounting for 37.5% of the cases. Most affected patients were adult males. There was no predominance for any activity, and the risk of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome was the underlying pathology most often cited. Conclusions: The isolation of fungi considered as emergent species, such as C. membranifaciens and dematiaceous species, highlights the importance of epidemiological monitoring of cases of fungemia in immunocompromised patients, as the therapy of choice depends on the knowledge of the aethiological agent.

Diabetic patients are at risk of acquiring esophageal infections such as those caused by members of the genus Candida. Here we describe a case in which Candida guilliermondii was isolated from the esophageal mucosa of a patient with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. Due to inappropriate and inaccurate identification, the emergence of non-C. albicans Candida species as potential pathogens has been underestimated. This should be a cause of concern since C. guilliermondii is a normal component of human microbiota. The identity of the isolate in our case was confirmed by its characteristic morphophysiological features and amplification of rDNA using species-specific primers. Fluconazole therapy produced no improvement of the esophageal symptoms, and resistance of the etiologic agent was confirmed through in vitro susceptibility tests. This is thought to be the first documented case of C. guilliermondii esophagitis in a patient with diabetes mellitus.

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