Late Aspergillus fumigatus endomyocarditis with brain abscess as a lethal complication after heart transplantation.
We report the case of a 65-year-old male patient who died from lethal Aspergillus fumigatus endomyocarditis and multiple cerebral septic emboli 6 months after cardiac transplantation. This complication developed 4 weeks after diagnosis of bilateral pulmonary aspergillosis, which was immediately treated by surgical removal and intravenous amphotericin B. Preceding colonization with Aspergillus spp was not identified. Primary cytomegalovirus infection (donor+/recipient-) and toxoplasmosis reactivation (donor+/recipient+) occurring at 1 and 2 months post-transplantation were successfully treated.
Rueter
Florian
F
University Clinic for Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University Clinics Basel, Basel, Switzerland. freuter@uhbs.ch
Hirsch
Hans H
HH
Kunz
Franziska
F
Buser
Peter
P
Habicht
James M
JM
Moch
Holger
H
Fluckiger
Ursula
U
Zerkowski
Hans-Reinhard
HR
D000368:Aged; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D001229:Aspergillosis, Allergic Bronchopulmonary; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000382:microbiology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology