Successful treatment of refractory chronic disseminated candidiasis after prolonged administration of caspofungin in a child with acute myeloid leukemia

This report documents the clinical activity of caspofungin in a 13-year-old girl with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic disseminated candidiasis (CDC), refractory to amphotericin B and fluconazole. Caspofungin was started at 50 mg/d resulting in a temporary response. With no further clinical improvement and radiological progress after 2 months of therapy, the dose of caspofungin was increased to 100 mg/d, leading to a sustained clinical response. Therapy was given for a total of 12 months and had no attributable adverse effects. This approach resulted in successful treatment of refractory CDC with caspofungin.