Non-Albicans Candida Peritonitis in Peritoneal Dialysis: Species Distribution, Management, and Outcomes—A Systematic Case-Based Review

Background/Objectives: Fungal peritonitis is a severe complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD) associated with catheter removal, technique failure, and increased mortality. Although Candida albicans was traditionally the predominant pathogen, non-albicans Candida (NAC) species are increasingly reported. This review summarizes the epidemiology and outcomes of PD-associated NAC peritonitis. Methods: A systematic review was performed following PRISMA guidelines. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched (January 1990–March 2026) for NAC peritonitis studies. Case reports and series with species-level identification were included. Results: 31 studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising 25 individual case reports and 6 case series, totaling 89 NAC isolates. Candida parapsilosis was the most frequently reported species (n = 50), followed by Candida tropicalis (n = 15). Other pathogens included Candida glabrata, Candida guilliermondii, and several rare NAC species. Fluconazole was the most commonly used initial antifungal therapy. Catheter removal was performed in most cases, with the majority of patients requiring transition to hemodialysis. Overall mortality was 20% among individual case reports vs. 24% across case series. Species-specific differences were observed: C. parapsilosis and C. guilliermondii were generally associated with favorable outcomes, whereas infections involving C. glabrata and other emerging NAC species more frequently required treatment escalation and were linked to poorer outcomes. Conclusions: NAC species are an important cause of fungal peritonitis in PD patients and show considerable heterogeneity in clinical outcomes and antifungal susceptibility. Early species-level identification and prompt catheter removal remain essential for optimal management.

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Journal
Infectious Disease Reports
Published
2026-04-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/idr18030041
Primary Topic
Antifungal resistance and susceptibility
Type
article
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article

Non-Albicans Candida Peritonitis in Peritoneal Dialysis: Species Distribution, Management, and Outcomes—A Systematic Case-Based Review

Charalampos Antachopoulos, Marianna Papakonstantinou, John Dotis, Ioustini Kalaitzopoulou et al.
Infectious Disease Reports
Antifungal resistance and susceptibility
article

Non-Albicans Candida Peritonitis in Peritoneal Dialysis: Species Distribution, Management, and Outcomes—A Systematic Case-Based Review

Charalampos Antachopoulos, Marianna Papakonstantinou, John Dotis, Ioustini Kalaitzopoulou, Maria Fourikou, A. Papadopoulou
article en

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Fungal peritonitis is a severe complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD) associated with catheter removal, technique failure, and increased mortality. Although Candida albicans was traditionally the predominant pathogen, non-albicans Candida (NAC) species are increasingly reported. This review summarizes the epidemiology and outcomes of PD-associated NAC peritonitis. Methods: A systematic review was performed following PRISMA guidelines. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched (January 1990–March 2026) for NAC peritonitis studies. Case reports and series with species-level identification were included. Results: 31 studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising 25 individual case reports and 6 case series, totaling 89 NAC isolates. Candida parapsilosis was the most frequently reported species (n = 50), followed by Candida tropicalis (n = 15). Other pathogens included Candida glabrata, Candida guilliermondii, and several rare NAC species. Fluconazole was the most commonly used initial antifungal therapy. Catheter removal was performed in most cases, with the majority of patients requiring transition to hemodialysis. Overall mortality was 20% among individual case reports vs. 24% across case series. Species-specific differences were observed: C. parapsilosis and C. guilliermondii were generally associated with favorable outcomes, whereas infections involving C. glabrata and other emerging NAC species more frequently required treatment escalation and were linked to poorer outcomes. Conclusions: NAC species are an important cause of fungal peritonitis in PD patients and show considerable heterogeneity in clinical outcomes and antifungal susceptibility. Early species-level identification and prompt catheter removal remain essential for optimal management.

Infectious Disease ReportsVol. 18(3)
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (GR), Ippokrateio General Hospital of Thessaloniki (GR), Hippocration General Hospital (GR)
Openalex Percentile: Top 5%
Antifungal resistance and susceptibility
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