Primary progressive and fatal fungemia by Lodderomyces elongisporus in an apparently immunocompetent elderly female in Kuwait. Fatal L. elongisporus fungemia in Kuwait

Isolation and characterization of Lodderomyces elongisporus from bloodstream of a female patient with peripheral vascular disease is described. The patient apparently had no known risk factor for invasive fungal infection when the diagnosis was made. The yeast isolate was identified by sequencing of ITS region of rDNA. L. elongisporus is a rare yeast pathogen and can be misidentified as Candida parapsilosis by Vitek yeast identification system, thus underscoring the need of application of molecular methods for its accurate identification. Despite prompt initiation of antifungal treatment with caspofungin, the patient died within three days of onset of fungemia.