A case study: Lecanicillium infection detected in the human body

• Published in: Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease Vol. 109; no. 3; p. 116337
• Main Authors: Wu, Yujing, Li, Dongming, Jin, Shufang, Zhang, Jiandong, Liu, Shuye
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-07-2024
• Subjects: DNA, Fungal - genetics; Fungi; Humans; Hypocreales - classification; Hypocreales - genetics; Hypocreales - isolation & purification; Infection; Lecanicillium; Male; Mycoses - diagnosis; Mycoses - microbiology; Phylogeny; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Synovial Fluid - microbiology; Fungi; Infection; Lecanicillium
• ISSN: 0732-8893; 1879-0070
• DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2024.116337

Lecanicillium dimorphum and Lecanicillium psalliotae are fungi that exist naturally in plants or insects, and are generally considered non-pathogenic to humans. However, in this case, we cultured Lecanicillium from the synovial fluid of a patient, and identified it through genome sequencing and sequence alignment as Lecanicillium dimorphum or Lecanicillium psalliotae. Due to the conservation of sequences, we can only identify the genus and not the species. There are very few reports on the human infection and pathogenicity of these two fungi, and this case also cannot completely prove that the pathogenic agent is this fungus. But this case also holds clinical significance, as the discovery of Lecanicillium in a human sample can alert the clinician to the presence of an uncommon mold with unclear clinical significance.