Prosthetic vascular graft infection due to Aspergillus species: case report and literature review.

A case of Aspergillus prosthetic graft infection is reported here, accompanied by a review of the literature on this topic. The literature search revealed only 13 other cases reported to date. This infection is usually acquired through contamination at the time of surgery and affects immunocompetent patients. Aspergillus fumigatus is the causative species in most cases. Remarkably, fever is absent in about one-half of all cases, and blood cultures are usually negative. Concomitant vertebral osteomyelitis is commonly observed when the aorta is involved. Cure of this serious infection may be achieved with antifungal therapy, excision of the infected graft and extra-anatomic bypass.