Successful treatment of Xylohypha bantiana brain abscess mimicking invasive cerebral aspergillosis in a liver transplant recipient.

Invasive aspergillosis is a highly lethal disease in immunocompromised hosts especially with central nervous system involvement. In a review of 2380 liver transplants performed over 14 years, 13 out of 15 fungal brain abscesses were due to Aspergillus species and only one patient survived [Arch Surg, 132 (1997) 304]. Dematiaceous fungi while less readily recognised, often have a more favorable outcome [Transplantation, 63 (1997) 160]. We report a Xylophypha bantiana cerebral abscess in a liver transplant recipient initially identified as a branching mould on histology that had a successful outcome due to aggressive appropriate treatment.