Phaeohyphomycosis in kidney transplant patients

Dematiaceous fungi are being increasingly recognized as pathogens in organ transplant recipients. This investigation reports five cases of subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis that occurred in five kidney transplant recipients in the Renal Unit at the San Vicente de Paul Hospital, Medellin, Colombia. Fungi of the genus Exophiala were isolated in three cases, but the agent was not identified in two cases. Physicians are likely to develop increased awareness of the clinical manifestation of infection with the dematiaceous fungi as the population of immunocompromised hosts continues to grow.