Aspergillus infection of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and pacemakers: case report and literature review

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2007 May;26(5):357-61. doi: 10.1007/s10096-007-0292-6.

Abstract

Presented here is a case of implantable-cardioverter-defibrillator infection caused by Aspergillus flavus and a review of 14 previously reported Aspergillus infections of pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. Among all 15 cases, fever was the most common presenting feature (11 patients). Three patients presented with generator-pocket inflammation. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed on eight of 13 patients with endocarditis, revealing vegetations in only one. Transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated the presence of vegetations in all eight of the patients on whom it was performed (p < 0.01). Death was due to the Aspergillus infection in five cases. Patients who presented with unexplained fever had a higher mortality rate (60%) than patients with other clinical presentations (20%, p = 0.166).

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antifungal Agents / therapeutic use
  • Aspergillus flavus / drug effects
  • Aspergillus flavus / pathogenicity*
  • Defibrillators, Implantable / microbiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mycoses / drug therapy
  • Mycoses / microbiology*
  • Prosthesis-Related Infections / drug therapy
  • Prosthesis-Related Infections / microbiology*
  • Pyrimidines / therapeutic use
  • Triazoles / therapeutic use
  • Voriconazole

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Pyrimidines
  • Triazoles
  • Voriconazole