Dulce Iliana Navarro Vergara1, Gloria Barragán Pola1, Alexandro Bonifaz2, Carlos Núñez Pérez-Redondo1, Omar Choreño García3, Raúl Cicero Sabido4. 1. Servicio de Neumología, Hospital General de México «Dr. Eduardo Liceaga», Ciudad de México, México. 2. Departamento de Micología, Hospital General de México «Dr. Eduardo Liceaga», Ciudad de México, México. Electronic address: a_bonifaz@yahoo.com.mx. 3. Departamento de Patología, Hospital General de México «Dr. Eduardo Liceaga», Ciudad de México, México. 4. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, México.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare opportunistic infection with high mortality that is caused by species of Mucorales. The most common species involved are Rhizopus, Mucor, Lichtheimia, and Rhizomucor. CASE REPORT: A 56 year-old woman presented with a clinical history of diabetes mellitus type 2 and chronic renal disease. She underwent a cadaveric kidney transplantation two years before her admission, for which immunomodulating therapy with thymoglobulin, tacrolimus, mofetil-microphenolate and prednisone was established. The patient suffered a pneumonic process with cough, expectoration, and dyspnoea. The computed tomography scan showed a cavitation in the right upper lobe. With all these findings an invasive broncopulmonary aspergillosis was suspected and the patient began an antifungal treatment with voriconazole without improvement. Rhizomucor pusillus was isolated from a clinical specimen obtained by fine needle aspiration, and its identification was confirmed by PCR. After this finding amphotericin B was administered, but the patient had an uncontrolled haemoptysis and died. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare infection, usually fatal in kidney transplant recipients with anti-rejection therapy. Mucorales species usually produce thrombotic phenomena, associated with necrosis and parenchymal destruction that caused a fatal uncontrolled haemoptysis in our patient. Early diagnosis is important in order to perform any surgical treatment and to administer amphotericin B.
BACKGROUND:Pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare opportunistic infection with high mortality that is caused by species of Mucorales. The most common species involved are Rhizopus, Mucor, Lichtheimia, and Rhizomucor. CASE REPORT: A 56 year-old woman presented with a clinical history of diabetes mellitus type 2 and chronic renal disease. She underwent a cadaveric kidney transplantation two years before her admission, for which immunomodulating therapy with thymoglobulin, tacrolimus, mofetil-microphenolate and prednisone was established. The patient suffered a pneumonic process with cough, expectoration, and dyspnoea. The computed tomography scan showed a cavitation in the right upper lobe. With all these findings an invasive broncopulmonary aspergillosis was suspected and the patient began an antifungal treatment with voriconazole without improvement. Rhizomucor pusillus was isolated from a clinical specimen obtained by fine needle aspiration, and its identification was confirmed by PCR. After this finding amphotericin B was administered, but the patient had an uncontrolled haemoptysis and died. CONCLUSIONS:Pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare infection, usually fatal in kidney transplant recipients with anti-rejection therapy. Mucorales species usually produce thrombotic phenomena, associated with necrosis and parenchymal destruction that caused a fatal uncontrolled haemoptysis in our patient. Early diagnosis is important in order to perform any surgical treatment and to administer amphotericin B.