Invasive aspergillosis in liver transplant recipients: association with candidemia and consumption coagulopathy and failure of prophylaxis with low-dose amphotericin B.

Invasive aspergillosis developed in three (5%) of 55 adult liver transplant recipients at our institution. All three of our patients had concomitant candidemia and consumption coagulopathy, and invasive aspergillosis developed while they were receiving therapy with intravenous amphotericin B (0.5 mg/[kg.d]). The simultaneous occurrence of candidemia and invasive aspergillosis in liver transplant recipients may reflect a common defect in the host-defense mechanism against Candida and Aspergillus organisms (i.e., impaired phagocytic and mononuclear macrophage function) and liver disease per se. These three cases suggest that such low-dose intravenous amphotericin B will likely be ineffective if used as antifungal prophylaxis for invasive aspergillosis.