Maternal sepsis and intrauterine fetal death resulting from Candida tropicalis chorioamnionitis in a woman with a retained intrauterine contraceptive device

Candida spp. are ubiquitous organisms reportedly colonizing up to 10% of pregnant women during mid-gestation. Detailed microbiologic laboratory techniques revealed that Candida albicans (86%), followed by Candida glabrata (9%) were the most frequently isolated strains. Candida tropicalis was identified in less than 1% only of these women. Other rarely isolated Candida spp. were Candida pseudotropicalis, Candida krusei, and Candida famata (1). Despite the high incidence of asymptomatic or symptomatic vaginal candidiasis, chorioamnionitis with subsequent fetal infection are very rare (2,3). This is the first report, to our knowledge, of an intraamniotic candidiasis complicated by severe maternal septicemia.