Mucormycosis (zygomycosis) in a heart-kidney transplant recipient: recovery after posaconazole therapy

Clin Infect Dis. 2003 Jun 1;36(11):1488-91. doi: 10.1086/375075. Epub 2003 May 16.

Abstract

We describe the case of a diabetic patient who developed a severe invasive fungal infection due to Rhizopus species postoperatively after a dual heart/kidney transplantation with subsequent intensive immunosuppressive therapy. No improvement was noted with amphotericin B (deoxycholate) therapy, but salvage treatment with the new azole antifungal posaconazole (200 mg orally 4 times daily) resulted in dramatic clinical improvement as early as 1 week after the initiation of therapy that continued through 23 weeks of treatment, with marked clinical, mycological, and radiological improvements and no adverse events.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antifungal Agents / adverse effects
  • Antifungal Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Diabetes Complications
  • Heart Transplantation
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppression Therapy
  • Kidney Transplantation
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mucormycosis / drug therapy*
  • Postoperative Complications / prevention & control*
  • Triazoles / adverse effects
  • Triazoles / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Triazoles
  • posaconazole