Successful treatment of multidrug-resistant Candida auris ventriculitis with Intraventricular Caspofungin: first report from Türkiye

Melike Nur Özçelik; Melike Demir; Taner Engin; Onur Baran; Ilknur Erdem

doi:10.3855/jidc.22209

Successful treatment of multidrug-resistant Candida auris ventriculitis with Intraventricular Caspofungin: first report from Türkiye

Authors

Melike Nur Özçelik Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Tekirdağ, Türkiye https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8590-230X
Melike Demir Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology, Tekirdağ, Türkiye
Taner Engin Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Tekirdağ, Türkiye
Onur Baran Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Tekirdağ, Türkiye https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0007-6315
Ilknur Erdem Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Tekirdağ, Türkiye

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.22209

Keywords:

Candida auris, external ventricular drain, ventriculitis

Abstract

Introduction: Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant fungus with limited therapeutic options. Central nervous system (CNS) infections are exceptionally rare and difficult to treat due to poor antifungal penetration.

Case presentation: This case report presents a 55-year-old woman with hydrocephalus and an external ventricular drain who developed Candida auris ventriculitis on day 48 of her intensive care unit stay. Based on CLSI (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute) interpretive criteria, the isolate demonstrated resistance to amphotericin B (MIC 4 µg/mL) and caspofungin (MIC 8 µg/mL), while remaining susceptible to anidulafungin (MIC 0.5 µg/mL).

Results: Intravenous anidulafungin and intraventricular (IVT) caspofungin (10 mg daily) achieved cerebrospinal fluid sterilization within 72 hours, despite the high in-vitro MIC.

Conclusions: This first report from Türkiye demonstrates the potential efficacy of IVT caspofungin in multidrug-resistant Candida auris ventriculitis, emphasizing the importance of pharmacokinetic studies to refine CNS dosing strategies and susceptibility breakpoints.

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Published

2026-10-31

How to Cite

Özçelik MN, Demir M, Engin T, Baran O, Erdem I (2026) Successful treatment of multidrug-resistant Candida auris ventriculitis with Intraventricular Caspofungin: first report from Türkiye. J Infect Dev Ctries 20:1566–1570. doi: 10.3855/jidc.22209

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Issue

Vol. 20 No. 10: October 2026

Section

Case Reports

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