Candida krusei lung abscess in an immunocompetent man

Lung abscess is a well-recognized disease whose natural history has changed since the advent of antibiotics. The predominant etiology of lung abscess continues to be anaerobic bacteria introduced into the bronchopulmonary tree by aspiration of oropharyngeal flora. Fungal involvement is becoming more prominent, likely because of widespread antibiotic use, the increase in the number of immunocompromised patients, intravascular catheters, and changing nosocomial epidemiology. Candida is often isolated from the respiratory tract but rarely causes disease. Its spectrum of disease manifestations include primary pneumonia, mycetoma, and, uncommonly, lung abscess. Candida albicans is the species of Candida most frequently involved. We present a previously unrecognized clinical entity, a Candida krusei lung abscess in an immunocompetent male subject.