Early fungal endocarditis in homograft recipients.
Retrospective analysis of 200 homograft valve recipients at our institution revealed two cases of fungal endocarditis. Pathogenesis appears to be related to either recipient seeding in one elderly immunocompromised patient or a previously contaminated donor valve implanted in an otherwise healthy recipient. Therefore, our experience underscores the need for both meticulous prevention of fungal infection preoperatively in the recipient and elimination of previously contaminated homograft valves from the donor pool.
Fedalen
P A
PA
Division of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery, Temple University Health Sciences Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA.
Fisher
C A
CA
Todd
B A
BA
Mather
P J
PJ
Addonizio
V P
VP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000382:microbiology / Q000637:transplantation*; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000601:surgery*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission; D012086:Reoperation; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous