Fatal Pulmonary Mucormycosis in a Renal Transplant Recipient: A Missed Opportunistic Infection
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Pulmonary mucormycosis has a high mortality rate if not diagnosed promptly. Early diagnosis and aggressive antifungal treatment, along with surgical debridement, can improve outcomes. We present a case of a 55-year-old African American man with end-stage renal disease who developed fatal pulmonary mucor seven months following his second deceased donor kidney transplant. This case highlights the pitfalls of empiric approaches to infections in immunocompromised hosts, assumptions based on the presence of concomitant organisms that may be present and the importance of accurate interpretation of serologic testing. The aim of this case report is to emphasize the critical importance of considering opportunistic infection in the differential diagnosis, as well as the need for early tissue diagnosis when solid organ transplant recipients present with pulmonary infections.
Source: Cureus
Institution: University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7153749835