Malassezia furfur fungemia associated with central venous catheter lipid emulsion infusion.

Malassezia furfur has been associated with fungemias in infants after prolonged intravenous lipid emulsion alimentation. Most cases of M. furfur fungemia reported in the literature involved neonates and required catheter removal for cure. M. furfur is probably an underreported problem in neonates as well as adults with central venous catheters, receiving lipid emulsions, because the organism requires selective enrichment media for growth, for example, Sabouraud's dextrose agar with sterile olive oil overlay. This case report of M. furfur fungemia in a neonates is unique because the neonate recovered on discontinuation of the lipid emulsion, without removal of the central venous catheter.