title: Broncholith caused by donor-acquired histoplasmosis in a lung transplant recipient.
abstract: A broncholith is a calcified lymph node that erodes into and partially or completely obstructs the bronchial lumen. The natural history of broncholiths is poorly understood. They are frequently encountered in residents of areas that are endemic for Histoplasma capsulatum and Mycobacterium tuberculum. We report the first case of a broncholith in which the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum was transferred from a donor to a lung transplant (LTx) recipient. Our report highlights the time course of broncholith development and its successful management. We suspect that broncholithiasis and transmission of Histoplasma capsulatum from a donor to the recipient are under-reported in the LTx literature. We hypothesize that histoplasmosis can be transmitted from the donor to the recipient and the duration in the formation of calcification of the lymph node or the broncholith can be anywhere from 2 to 10 months.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Sonia S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Demet
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karnak
authors.forename: Shetal N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Budev
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Machuzak
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Gildea
authors.forename: Atul C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Mehta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001980:Bronchi / Q000473:pathology; D001982:Bronchial Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006660:Histoplasmosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D020347:Lithiasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000150:complications*; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D013997:Time Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed