SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE FUNGEMIA IN A HEAD AND NECK CANCER PATIENT: A CASE REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

We report the case of a 65-year old male who developed Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia after completing a course of chemotherapy and radiation therapy for head and neck carcinoma. He had grade IV oral mucositis, and received Saccharomyces boulardii (Perenterol®) orally as treatment for aseptic diarrhoea just before the onset of fungemia. We discuss the epidemiology and pathology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the cancer patient population.