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Overview: fungal infections in the transplant patient

J A Fishman1

  • 1Harvard Medical School, Transplant Infectious Diseases and Compromised Host Program, Infectious Disease Division, Transplant Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. jfishman@partners.org

Transplant Infectious Disease : an Official Journal of the Transplantation Society
|December 19, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Fungal infections pose significant challenges in solid organ transplantation. Successful management requires risk stratification, pre-transplant infection control, and appropriate therapies, despite diagnostic limitations.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Transplant Infectious Diseases
  • Immunocompromised Host Infections

Background:

  • Fungal infections represent a critical complication in solid organ transplantation, impacting patient outcomes.
  • Advancements in antifungal agents and diagnostic technologies are emerging.
  • A conference convened to address current strategies for fungal infection prevention and treatment in transplant recipients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and synthesize current approaches for managing fungal infections in solid organ transplantation.
  • To identify key factors for successful fungal infection management in this patient population.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature and clinical practices regarding fungal infections in transplantation.
  • Discussion and consensus building among experts during a convened conference.

Main Results:

  • Key strategies include risk stratification, pre-transplant infection eradication, confirmation of cure (radiologic/histopathologic), surgical debridement, reduced immunosuppression, and fungicidal therapies.
  • Significant impediments to care include the lack of sensitive diagnostic tools and standardized antifungal susceptibility testing for filamentous fungi.

Conclusions:

  • Effective management of fungal infections in transplantation relies on a multifaceted approach.
  • Development of sensitive diagnostics and standardized susceptibility testing is crucial for improving patient care and outcomes.

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