Low-Dose Amphotericin B Lipid Complex for the Treatment of Persistent Fever of Unknown Origin in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies and Prolonged Neutropenia

We studied the safety of low-dose amphotericin B lipid complex (ABLC, at 1 mg/kg/day) in 30 persistently febrile (>38°C for at least 5 days or with recurrent fever after 3 days of apyrexia) and neutropenic (9/l) adult patients with hematologic malignancies. The median age was 45 years (range 18–67), most (60%) had an acute leukemia and all had fever of unknown origin (FUO). The total duration of neutropenia was a median of 17 days (range 9–33), and the total number of days with fever 10 days (range 6–39). Seven patients experienced mild-to- moderate infusion-related adverse events (IRAE). The serum creatinine and urea increased from baseline to end of therapy in 76 and 63% of cases, but the maximum levels reached were