Isolation of Candida Protoplasts from a Case of Candida Endocarditis

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Abstract
A case of endocarditis caused by Candida tropicalis is described. Even though the patient was receiving adequate therapy, and all routine blood cultures were negative for growth, the patient continued to give clinical evidence of active, progressive endocarditis. The isolation of osmotically fragile bodies from blood cultures placed in an osmotically controlled medium is described in detail. The role of these bodies, called protoplasts, in the active disease process of this patient is discussed in relation to the criteria for the implication of protoplasts in the disease process. Several explanations as to what caused the in vivo formation of protoplasts of C. tropicalis in this patient are discussed.