First Case of Catheter-related Bloodstream Infection Caused by Wickerhamiella pararugosa in Korea

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Wickerhamiella pararugosa is a rare fungal pathogen in humans, with only nine cases of bloodstream infection reported worldwide. In this case report, we describe a case of central venous catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) caused by W. pararugosa in a 62-year-old woman with terminal-stage small cell carcinoma of the endometrium who presented with fever and altered mental status. Identical isolates were repeat- edly recovered from catheter-drawn blood and catheter tip cultures. The isolates were identified as W. pararugosa using MALDI-TOF MS and se- quencing of the D1/D2 domain of the 26S ribosomal DNA and internal transcribed spacer region. The strain demonstrated a high minimum inhibi- tory concentration to fluconazole. This is the first reported case of CRBSI caused by W. pararugosa in Korea, highlighting the importance of early antifungal therapy and catheter removal for effective management.