Hansenula polymorpha infection in a child with chronic granulomatous disease

In a patient with chronic granulomatous disease of childhood documented by the nitroblue tetrazolium test, an infection of the mediastinal lymph nodes developed that was caused by Hansenula polymorpha, an ascomycetous yeast. To our knowledge, this yeast has not been previously shown to be an etiologic agent of disease in man. The diagnosis was made by growing the yeast from cultures of several biopsy specimens collected at the time of thoracotomy. Susceptibility testing showed that the yeast was sensitive to amphotericin B. Treatment with amphotericin B reversed this life-threatening episode.