A Report of Candida blankii Fungemia and Possible Endocarditis in an Immunocompetent Individual and the Review of Literature

Candida blankii is an emerging pathogenic fungus, first identified in 1968 as a new species. In the past five years, it has been identified in cystic fibrosis patient's airways and as fungemia in immunocompromised patients (post lung transplant and preterm neonates). It has been postulated to be a possible opportunistic pathogen based on the published case reports. We report a case of C. blankii fungemia with possible endocarditis in an immunocompetent individual. To our knowledge, this is also the first case of C. blankii bloodstream infection reported in an adult patient (age > 18 years). The C. blankii isolate from our patient had high minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to azoles similar to the published reports. There is a dearth of literature guiding the treatment of this organism, given the variable susceptibility pattern and lack of data. Here, we describe successful treatment of possible C. blankii endocarditis with a combination of polyene and echinocandin antifungal agents.

Automated summary

Candida blankii, an emerging pathogenic fungus, has been identified in immunocompromised patients causing fungemia. This study reports a case of C. blankii fungemia in an immunocompetent individual, successfully treated with a combination of antifungal agents. Further research is needed due to the variable susceptibility pattern and lack of treatment guidelines for this organism.