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Necrotizing M icroascus tracheobronchitis in a bilateral lung transplant recipient
Author(s) -
Taton Olivier,
Bernier Benjamin,
Etienne Isabelle,
Bondue Benjamin,
Lecomte Sophie,
Knoop Christiane,
Jacob Frederique,
Montesinos Isabel
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
transplant infectious disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.69
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1399-3062
pISSN - 1398-2273
DOI - 10.1111/tid.12806
Subject(s) - voriconazole , medicine , caspofungin , lung transplantation , posaconazole , terbinafine , amphotericin b , surgery , aspergillosis , bronchoalveolar lavage , transplantation , organ transplantation , lung , gastroenterology , dermatology , antifungal , itraconazole , immunology
Invasive fungal infections are a major cause of mortality among solid organ transplant recipients. Scopulariopsis species and their teleomorph Microascus are molds found in soil and decaying organic matter. We report here the case of a woman who underwent bilateral lung transplantation for severe emphysema. On day 25 after transplantation, endobronchial green‐black lesions were detected during routine endoscopy. Endobronchial swabs, biopsies, and bronchoalveolar lavage samples were positive for Microascus cirrosus . This fungal infection developed despite voriconazole given for previous persistent invasive aspergillosis. Treatment consisted of a combination of antifungal medication (voriconazole, terbinafine, amphotericin B, and caspofungin) and endoscopic resection of necrosed bronchial mucosa. A favorable clinical outcome was achieved after 7 weeks of treatment. Seven cases of Scopulariopsis/Microascus infection have been previously described in solid organ transplant recipients. Only two survived after treatment with an antifungal combination therapy including echinocandins, posaconazole, and terbinafine. In immunocompromised patients, infection by Microascus species is a rare but life‐threatening event because of innate resistance to most common antifungal drugs. Our patient was successfully cured by combined therapy including intravenous voriconazole and caspofungin, oral terbinafine, and inhaled voriconazole and amphotericin B administered for 7 weeks in association with iterative endoscopic debridement to reduce fungal inoculum.