Invasive trichosporonosis in children: a 10-year experience from a tertiary care center in Türkiye

Invasive fungal infections, particularly those caused by Trichosporon species, have increasingly been observed in recent years, leading to high morbidity and mortality rates in immunosuppressed patients. Trichosporon asahii is the most common species associated with systemic infections. Despite their clinical importance, especially in pediatric patients, information remains limited. This study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics, comorbidities, treatment methods, and outcomes of invasive Trichosporon infections diagnosed over 10 years at a university hospital. The medical records of patients diagnosed with invasive Trichosporon infections between December 2013 and January 2024 at our center were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 12 cases of invasive Trichosporon infection were examined during the study period. In 75% of these cases, the isolated species was T. asahii. Underlying comorbidities were present in 33.3% of the patients, with hematologic malignancies in 33.3% and immunodeficiency in 33.3%. Among the treatment strategies, 12.5% of the patients received voriconazole monotherapy, and 37.5% received a combination of voriconazole and antifungal therapy, with the most common combination being voriconazole and liposomal L-AmB. The overall mortality rate was 41.7%, with 7-day mortality at 8.3% and 30-day mortality at 25%. Invasive Trichosporon infections are serious infections with a high mortality risk in immunocompromised patients. Early diagnosis, timely initiation of appropriate antifungal therapy, and management of underlying comorbidities are critical for improving patient outcomes. Due to the limited number of cases, further research in this field is needed.