A rare case of urinary tract infection due to Trichosporon asahii

Abstract

Trichosporon species are fungi that commonly inhabit the soil. They colonise the skin, gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract of humans. They are a commonly reported cause of disseminated invasive yeast infection in immunocompromised patients. Invasive urinary tract infection caused by Trichosporon asahii is rare. We report a case of urinary tract infection due to Trichosporon asahii in an 80-year-old male patient with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Yeast-like organisms were isolated from urine samples on three consecutive days as pure cultures. It was identified as Trichosporon asahii using API ID 32C. T. asahii was found to be sensitive to amphotericin B, fluconazole and voriconazole, but resistant to itraconazole by E-test method. The patient responded well to fluconazole treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of invasive urinary tract infection caused by Trichosporon asahii in a patient with heart failure.