CASE REPORT

Diagnosis of aspergillus peritonitis in a renal dialysis patient by PCR and galactomannan detection

J M Scotter¹, J M Stevens², S T Chambers³, K L Lynn⁴ and W N Patton²

¹ Microbiology Unit Canterbury Health Laboratories and Department of Pathology, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Christchurch, New Zealand
² Department of Haematology, Canterbury Health Laboratories
³ Department of Infectious Diseases, Christchurch Hospital and Department of Pathology, Christchurch School of Medicine
⁴ Department of Nephrology, Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
N Patton
Department of Haematology, Canterbury Health Laboratories, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2 Riccarton Avenue, PO Box 4345, Christchurch, New Zealand; nigel.patton{at}cdhb.govt.nz

This report describes the use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and galactomannan detection to detect aspergillus in the continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) fluid and blood of a patient with multiple myeloma on CAPD and immunosuppressive treatment. Diagnosis of aspergillosis was initially made by conventional culture of CAPD fluid, but the PCR and galactomannan assays also detected aspergillus DNA and antigen in the blood, respectively. This suggests that the PCR and galactomannan assays, previously suggested as useful in the management of invasive fungal infections in neutropenic haematological patients, may be suitable for application to a broad range of clinical situations and sample types.

Keywords: continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis; aspergillus; polymerase chain reaction; galactomannan

Abbreviations: CAPD, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis; ELISA, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; IA, invasive aspergillosis; PCR, polymerase chain reaction

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Ide, L, De Laere, E, Verlinde, A, Surmont, I (2005). A case of Aspergillus fumigatus peritonitis in a patient undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD): diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. J. Clin. Pathol. 58: 559-559 [Full Text]