Korean Journal of Infectious Diseases  1999;31(6):500-505

Invasive Aspergillosis after Solid Organ Transplantation.

Hyun Kyun KI 1 ; Jae Hyun KOH ; Soo Jung KANG ; Shin Woo KIM ; Hyuck LEE ; Sungmin KIM ; Kyong Ran PECK ; Jae Hoon SONG ; Seung Woon PAIK ; Kwang Cheol KOH ; Sang Hoon LEE ; Pyo Won PARK ; Sung Joo KIM ; Jae Won JOH ; Suk Koo LEE

Affiliations

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Keywords

Organ transplantation; Aspergillosis; Infection

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

Solid organ transplantation has been established as an accepted treatment modality for end-stage diseases. Although the prognosis for organ recipients has improved with the development of surgical technical skills and the application of newly developed immunosuppressive agents, opportunistic infections remain the major cause of death in these patients. Invasive aspergillosis is one of the most common fungal infections in solid organ transplantation, and it carries a high mortality rate. In Korea, eight sporadic cases of invasive aspergillosis after kidney or heart transplantation have been reported. Recently, we experienced five cases of invasive aspergillosis after liver or heart transplantation over a four year period. Among these five patients, three died of uncontrollable aspergillosis and one died of heart failure and graft rejection. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for the improvement of the prognosis for invasive aspergillosis after solid organ transplantation.