Unusual fungemia in a patient with metastatic gastric cancer

Abstract

Kodamaea ohmeri, a yeast used in food industry, is an emerging opportunist causing sepsis, endocarditis, cellulitis, urinary tract infection, peritonitis. Only 40 cases of Kodamaea ohmeri fungemia were reported worldwide till 2017. Many of them were associated with indwelling central venous catheter. Four Taiwan cases were founded in the literature, and one of them had underlying solid malignancy. Here we report a patient with newly diagnosed metastatic gastric cancer presenting with Kodamaea ohmeri fungemia. There was no previous history of central venous catheter insertion. Despite of antifungal treatment, the patient succumbed to rapid progression of gastric cancer after one course of chemotherapy. We conclude that Kodamaea ohmeri fungemia found in patients with advanced cancer may suggest poor clinical outcome in spite of treatment. Keywords: Kodamaea ohmeri, Fungemia, Malignancy