Fluconazole in Children: First Experience with Prophylaxis in Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia in Pediatric Patients with Cancer

Abstract

In an open multicenter, prospective study fluconazole (FLU) was administered to prevent fungal infection in 22 neutropenic, 2- to 14-year-old children. Of 4 failures, one was infected with an Aspergillus spp., one with Candida krusei and one with Candida (Torulopsis) glabrata. One failure was of bacterial origin. Those patients with mycoses who failed on fluconazole were successfully treated with other antifungals. In 4 patients transient elevation of liver enzymes was observed. This is the first reported trial using FLU in prophylaxis against fungal infection in neutropenic pediatric patients, where 18/24 children did not present any evidence of mycotic infection using FLU in daily doses of 1-4 mg/kg.