Aspergillus fumigatus -Related Spondylodiscitis in a Heart Transplant Patient Successfully Treated With Voriconazole

• Published in: Transplantation proceedings Vol. 39; no. 8; pp. 2627 - 2628
• Main Authors: Wéclawiak, H, Garrouste, C, Kamar, N, Linas, M.-D, Tall, P, Dambrin, C, Durand, D, Rostaing, L
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.10.2007; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adolescent; Antifungal Agents - therapeutic use; Antilymphocyte Serum - therapeutic use; Aspergillosis - drug therapy; Aspergillus fumigatus; Biological and medical sciences; Discitis - drug therapy; Discitis - microbiology; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Diseases of the spine; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Heart Transplantation - adverse effects; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents - therapeutic use; Male; Medical sciences; Postoperative Complications - drug therapy; Postoperative Complications - microbiology; Pyrimidines - therapeutic use; Surgery; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Tissue, organ and graft immunology; Treatment Outcome; Triazoles - therapeutic use; Voriconazole; Heart; Human; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Patient; Transplantation; Spine disease; Homotransplantation; Fungi; Medicine; Spondylitis; Antifungal agent; Treatment; Surgery; Voriconazole; Triazole derivatives; Graft; Circulatory system; Fungi Imperfecti; Aspergillus fumigatus; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0041-1345; 1873-2623
• DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2007.08.014

Abstract Organ transplant patients, such as heart transplant (HT) recipients, are prone to infections, among which are yeast infections. Of these, aspergillosis is usually associated with pneumopathy or facial sinusitis, and Aspergillus fumigatus is rarely responsible for osteomyelitis or spondylodiscitis. Herein we have reported a case of an 18-year-old male HT patient presenting with subacute lumbar spondylodiscitis at 6 months posttransplantation and 3 months after antirejection therapy with antithymocyte globulins. A percutaneous needle biopsy of the intervertebral disc yielded Aspergillus fumigatus . The patient had no evidence of lung aspergillosis, but did have maxillary sinusitis. He was successfully treated with voriconazole.