Invasive aspergillosis in a patient with MELAS syndrome
- aDepartment of Neurology, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL, UK, bDepartment of Neurology, Hope Hospital, Salford, UK, cDepartment of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, North Manchester General Hospital, Manchester, UK
- Dr D H McKeeDMcKee{at}Central.CMHT.NWest.NHS.uk
- Received 16 June 1999
- Revised 29 December 1999
- Accepted 21 January 2000
Abstract
Invasive infection with the opportunistic fungusAspergillus fumigatuspredominantly affects people with impaired cell mediated immunity. The case of a 31 year old woman with no identified cause for immunosuppression who presented with severe refractory aspergillosis of the paranasal sinuses is reported. She subsequently developed clinical and molecular evidence of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like events (MELAS) syndrome. It is proposed that MELAS syndrome may represent an unusual risk factor for the development of invasive aspergillosis and mechanisms are supported by which mitochondrial dysfunction may predispose to this.
