Successful treatment of mucor infection after liver or pancreas-kidney transplantation.
BACKGROUND
Mucormycosis is a rare and opportunistic infection usually associated with hematologic diseases, diabetes mellitus, renal failure, solid tumors, and organ transplantation.


METHODS
We present five cases of mucor infection after transplantation (three after a series of 750 orthotopic liver transplantation and two after a series of 13 simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation in patients with type 1 diabetes) subjected to medical and surgical treatment and analyze the factors related to the development of this infection.


RESULTS
The clinical forms were two cutaneous (laparotomy wound or prior surgical drain site), two rhino-maxillary, and one pulmonary. As risk factors for mucormycosis all patients had pre- or posttransplantation diabetes, and showed at least one episode of acute rejection that required aggressive immunosuppression (2-7 g of methylprednisolone; also three patients were treated with antithymocyte globulin [ATG] monoclonal antibody [orthoclone and/or OKT3]). We also found renal failure, acidosis, malnutrition, and Candida and cytomegalovirus infections as factors related to mucor infection. Diagnosis of fungal infection was confirmed by exudate or fluid culture in three cases and by biopsy in two. All patients were treated with liposomal amphotericin B (from 3.5 to 5.6 g of total dose) and resection until the surgical margins were free of infection. All patients survived after this severe infection.


CONCLUSIONS
With an early diagnosis of mucormycosis by clinical findings, culture, or tissue biopsy, and aggressive treatment consisting of administration of liposomal amphotericin B and surgical resection of all infected tissue, excellent results are achieved.
Jiménez
Carlos
C
Department of General and Digestive Surgery and Abdominal Organ Transplantation, Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre, 28041-Madrid, Spain. emorenog@hdoc.insalud.es
Lumbreras
Carlos
C
Aguado
José María
JM
Loinaz
Carmelo
C
Paseiro
Gloria
G
Andrés
Amado
A
Morales
José María
JM
Sánchez
Gregorio
G
García
Ignacio
I
del Palacio
Amalia
A
Moreno
Enrique
E
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009091:Mucormycosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016035:Pancreas Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*