title: A rare case of Cryptococcus gattii pneumonia in a renal transplant patient.
abstract: Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are environmental fungi that can cause fever, cough, pneumonia, meningoencephalitis, dissemination, and death. C. gattii causes cryptococcomas more frequently than does C. neoformans and may require prolonged antifungal treatment. We present a rare case of C. gattii pneumonia in a renal transplant patient. A 44-year-old man, living in a rural area endemic for C. gattii and who had received a kidney transplant, was admitted to the hospital with fever, vomiting, weight loss, and diarrhea. A chest computed tomography revealed 2 alveolar, nodular, subpleural infiltrates in the periphery of the lungs. Differential diagnoses included infectious infiltrates, granulomatosis, embolization, and hemorrhage. C. gattii, molecular type VGI, was confirmed on day 28. Treatment consisted of amphotericin B at 1 mg/kg/day or fluconazole at 800 mg/day for first 6 weeks, followed by fluconazole at 400 mg/day for the subsequent 12 months. Response to the therapy has been slow. Because of the occurrence of outbreaks and its high morbidity and mortality rates, physicians must be aware of this complication in transplant recipients to avoid delays in diagnosis and to provide prompt management.
authors.affiliation: Renal Transplantation, Hospital de Alta Complejidad Pte JD Perón, Formosa, Argentina.|Foundation for Research and Assistance in Kidney Disease - FINAER, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cicora
authors.affiliation: Renal Transplantation, Hospital de Alta Complejidad Pte JD Perón, Formosa, Argentina.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Petroni
authors.affiliation: Renal Transplantation, Hospital de Alta Complejidad Pte JD Perón, Formosa, Argentina.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Formosa
authors.affiliation: Foundation for Research and Assistance in Kidney Disease - FINAER, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roberti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D056285:Cryptococcus gattii / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D015725:Fluconazole
keywords: Cryptococcus gattii; cryptococcosis; kidney transplantation; mycosis; pneumonia