Tubo-Ovarian Abscess Caused by Candida Albicans in an Obese Patient

HEALTHCARE-ASSOCIATED TUBO-OVARIAN INFECTIONS IN UKRAINE: RESULTS OF A MULTICENTER STUDY (2020-2022)

OBJECTIVE

The aim: To determine the current prevalence of healthcare-associated tubo-ovarian infections in female and antimicrobial resistance of the responsible pathogens in Ukraine.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Materials and methods: We performed a retrospective multicenter cohort study was based on healthcare-associated infections surveillance data. Definitions of health¬care-associated tubo-ovarian infections were used from the CDC/ NHSN. The susceptibility to antibiotics was determined by disk diffusion method according to the EUCAST.

RESULTS

Results: Among all the 1,528 of women in this study, the prevalence of healthcare-associated tubo-ovarian infections was 31.2%. Of these cases, Salpingitis, Oophoritis, and tubo-ovarian abscess were 47.5%, 34% and 18.5%, respectively. Of all cases tubo-ovarian infections in female, 74.7% were detected after hospital discharge. The predominant pathogens were: Escherichia coli (27.7%), Enterobacter spp. (12.2%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (9.6%), Staphylococcus aureus (8.2%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8.1%), and Enterococcus faecalis (7.5%), followed by Proteus mirabilis (5.1%), Streptococcus spp. (4.5%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (4.4%), and Acinetibacter spp. (4%). Methicillin-resistance was ob¬served in 16.8% of S. aureus (MRSA). No strains S.aureus and E. faecalis resistant to vancomycin. The overall proportion of extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) production among Enterobacteriaceae was 24.7%. The prevalence of ESBL production among E. coli isolates was 28.6% and among K. pneumoniae 12.8%. Resistance to third-generation cephalosporins was observed in 14.9% E.coli and 11.3% K. pneumoniae isolates. Carbapenem resistance was identified in 11.3% of P.aeruginosa isolates.

CONCLUSION

Conclusions: A healthcare-associated tubo-ovarian infections of the female in Ukraine is a common occurrence and many cases are caused by pathogens that are resistant to antibiotics.

Epidemiologic and Clinical Characteristics of Tubo-Ovarian Abscess, Hydrosalpinx, Pyosalpinx, and Oophoritis in Emergency Department Patients

Introduction Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a spectrum of illness ranging from mild illness to more severe forms including tubo-ovarian abscess, hydrosalpinx, pyosalpinx, oophoritis (THPO). The objective of the study was to report rates and clinical characteristics of females presenting to the ED with a diagnosis of THPO in relationship to the presence or absence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Methods A database of ED patient encounters occurring from April 18, 2014, to March 7, 2017 was created. Analysis of women diagnosed with THPO and who had testing for gonorrhea, chlamydia, or trichomonas by nucleic acid amplification testing or who had a vaginal wet preparation was performed. Patient demographics, ED diagnoses, laboratory tests, medications administered in the ED, and medications prescribed were examined. Categorical variables were summarized as count and percentages and analyzed using the Chi-square test. Continuous variables were summarized as the mean and standard deviation and analyzed using the t-test. All statistical tests were two-sided with a significance level of 0.05. Results THPO was diagnosed in 0.3% (56/17,905) of patient encounters. There were 50% (28/56) of women with THPO admitted to the hospital. There were 25.0% (12/48) women who received a positive test result for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, and/or Trichomonas vaginalis. Women with THPO were significantly older, more likely to be infected with gonorrhea, and more likely to be diagnosed with sepsis and PID (P<.05 for all). Conclusions THPO is an infrequently encountered entity in the ED. A diagnosis of STI, PID, and sepsis can accompany these presentations. Although an uncommon diagnosis, ED providers must be attentive to patients presenting with pelvic symptoms that could be consistent with THPO to mitigate any complications that may arise and to direct the appropriate treatment.

Associations between the vaginal microbiome and Candida colonization in women of reproductive age

BACKGROUND

The composition of bacteria within the vaginal microbiome has garnered a lot of recent attention and has been associated with reproductive health and disease. Despite the common occurrence of yeast (primarily Candida) within the vaginal microbiome, there is still an incomplete picture of relationships between yeast and bacteria (especially lactobacilli), as well as how such associations are governed. Such relationships could be important to a more holistic understanding of the vaginal microbiome and its connection to reproductive health.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to perform molecular characterization of clinical specimens to define associations between vaginal bacteria (especially Lactobacillus species) and Candida colonization. In vitro studies were conducted to test the 2 most common dominant Lactobacillus species (Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus iners) in their ability to inhibit Candida growth and to examine the basis for such inhibition.

STUDY DESIGN

A nested cross-sectional study of reproductive-age women from the Contraceptive CHOICE Project was conducted. Vaginal swabs from 299 women were selected to balance race and bacterial vaginosis status, resulting in a similar representation of black and white women in each of the 3 Nugent score categories (normal [0-3], intermediate [4-6], and bacterial vaginosis [7-10]). Sequencing of the 16S ribosomal gene (V4 region) was used to determine the dominant Lactobacillus species present (primarily Lactobacillus iners and Lactobacillus crispatus), defined as >50% of the community. Subjects without dominance by a single Lactobacillus species were classified as Diverse. A Candida-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction targeting the internally transcribed spacer 1 was validated using vaginal samples collected from a second cohort of women and used to assess Candida colonization. Two hundred fifty-five nonpregnant women with sufficient bacterial biomass for analysis were included in the final analysis. Generalized linear models were used to evaluate associations between Lactobacillus dominance, sociodemographic and risk characteristics, and vaginal Candida colonization. In separate in vitro studies, the potential of cell-free supernatants from Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus iners cultures to inhibit Candida growth was evaluated.

RESULTS

Forty-two women (16%) were vaginally colonized with Candida. Microbiomes characterized as Diverse (38%), Lactobacillus iners-dominant (39%), and Lactobacillus crispatus-dominant (20%) were the most common. The microbiome, race, and Candida colonization co-varied with a higher prevalence of Candida among black women and Lactobacillus iners-dominant communities compared with white women and Lactobacillus crispatus-dominant communities. Lactobacillus iners-dominant communities were more likely to harbor Candida than Lactobacillus crispatus-dominant communities (odds ratio, 2.85, 95% confidence interval, 1.03-7.21; Fisher exact test, P = .048). In vitro, Lactobacillus crispatus produced greater concentrations of lactic acid and exhibited significantly more pH-dependent growth inhibition of Candida albicans, suggesting a potential mechanism for the clinical observations.

CONCLUSION

In nonpregnant women, Lactobacillus iners-dominant communities were significantly more likely to harbor Candida than Lactobacillus crispatus-dominant communities, suggesting that Lactobacillus species have different relationships with Candida. In vitro experiments indicate that Lactobacillus crispatus may impede Candida colonization more effectively than Lactobacillus iners through a greater production of lactic acid.

Case Report of a Tubo-ovarian Abscess Caused by Candida kefyr

BACKGROUND

Candida species are harmless commensals of hosts, including humans, but they can cause infection when the immune system is compromised. Infections with non-albicans species can occur, ranging from urinary tract infections to sepsis, especially among patients in intensive care units.

CASE

The patient, a 37-year-old woman, presented with severe abdominal pain, fever, and vomiting. The patient's symptoms and fever continued in spite of treatment with antibiotics, and she underwent exploratory laparotomy. Cyst content culture results showed that Candida kefyr was present in the cyst.

CONCLUSION

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of a tubo-ovarian abscess caused by C. kefyr. Rare pathogens can be found in patients with a tubo-ovarian abscess, so culture of the abscess material is important for determining subsequent treatment, particularly in women who require an operation for tubo-ovarian abscess.

Unusual presentations of Comamonas kerstersii infection

The association of Comamonas kerstersii with peritonitis resulting from the presence of perforated appendix has previously been described by our research team. In the present study, we describe the isolation of this microorganism from two forms of unusual presentations of C. kerstersii infection not previously described in the literature: localized intra-abdominal infection (psoas abscess) and pelvic peritonitis.