Fatal Exophiala infections in China, with a report of seven cases

During the past four decades, seven patients were documented in China to have died from Exophiala infections. Causative agents were Exophiala dermatitidis, Exophiala spinifera, Exophiala jeanselmei and a new Exophiala species, Exophiala asiatica. We retrospectively analysed the clinical characteristics of these infections in China and confirmed the identity of aetiological agents of Chinese fatal cases using rDNA ITS sequence analysis. While E. dermatitidis displayed neurotropism, E. spinifera showed osteotropism. The other two species, E. jeanselmei and E. asiatica had caused brain infections in China.