ABSTRACT

Hong Kong Med J 2005;11:120-3 | Number 2, April 2005
CASE REPORT
Candida tropicalis arthritis of the knee in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: successful treatment with caspofungin
JPY Sim, BCS Kho, HSY Liu, R Yung, JCW Chan
Department of Medicine, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, 3 Lok Man Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong
 
 
Candida arthritis in patients with a haematological malignancy is rare. We report a case of Candida tropicalis arthritis of the knee that occurred in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia during the recovery phase of post-chemotherapy neutropenia. Although the Candida tropicalis isolates from synovial fluid and synovial tissue were sensitive to fluconazole in vitro, a 6-week course of oral treatment failed to produce clinical improvement. The arthritis resolved after 7 weeks of combination therapy with caspofungin, a new echinocandin class of antifungal agent that acts primarily on the cell wall. Eleven other reports of Candida arthritis in patients with a haematological malignancy were reviewed.
 
Key words: Antifungal agents; Arthritis, infectious; Candidiasis; Knee joint; Leukemia, lymphocyte, acute
 
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