Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 30, 2026

Histological Quantification to Determine Lung Fungal Burden in Experimental Aspergillosis
09:52

Histological Quantification to Determine Lung Fungal Burden in Experimental Aspergillosis

Published on: March 9, 2018

Combination antifungal therapy for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in a heart transplant recipient

Andres Beiras-Fernandez1, Amir K Bigdeli, Thomas Nickel

  • 1Department of Cardiac Surgery, Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig- Maximilians-University, D-81377 Munich, Germany. abeiras@med.uni-muenchen.de

Experimental and Clinical Transplantation : Official Journal of the Middle East Society for Organ Transplantation
|August 9, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is a serious risk for heart transplant patients. Early diagnosis and combination antifungal therapy with voriconazole and micafungin led to successful treatment in this case.

Area of Science:

  • Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Transplantation

Background:

  • Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a life-threatening fungal infection with high mortality in solid organ transplant recipients.
  • Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for improving outcomes in immunocompromised patients.

Observation:

  • A 45-year-old male heart transplant recipient presented with persistent fever, worsening dyspnea, and cough unresponsive to antibiotics.
  • Clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings were consistent with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.

Findings:

  • The patient received a combination therapy of voriconazole and micafungin.
  • Successful treatment of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis was achieved with the combined antifungal regimen.

Implications:

  • This case underscores the necessity of maintaining a high index of suspicion for IPA in transplant recipients.
  • The effectiveness of newer antifungal agents like voriconazole and micafungin in treating IPA is highlighted.

More Related Videos

Engineering Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Natural Killer Cells Targeting Fungal Infections Using the Non-viral Sleeping Beauty Transposon System08:29

Engineering Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Natural Killer Cells Targeting Fungal Infections Using the Non-viral Sleeping Beauty Transposon System

Published on: October 4, 2024

Related Concept Videos

Cryptococcal Meningitis01:27

Cryptococcal Meningitis

Cryptococcal meningitis is a life-threatening opportunistic infection predominantly associated with HIV/AIDS, accounting for over 100,000 deaths annually worldwide. However, it also affects individuals with other forms of immunosuppression, including those undergoing immunosuppressive therapy, organ transplant recipients, patients with innate immunodeficiencies, and individuals with hematological disorders. The infection is caused mainly by Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii,...
Antifungal Agents01:15

Antifungal Agents

Amphotericin B is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that exploits structural differences between fungal and mammalian cell membranes. Its amphipathic structure—featuring a hydrophobic polyene-lactone ring and a hydrophilic region containing mycosamine and carboxylic acid groups—enables selective binding to ergosterol, a sterol predominantly found in fungal plasma membranes. This selective interaction underlies the drug’s antifungal activity, although weak binding to cholesterol contributes to...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis IV01:26

Pulmonary Tuberculosis IV

Tuberculosis, more commonly referred to as TB, is an infectious disease stemming from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. While it primarily impacts the lungs, TB can also affect other body areas. Given its severity and global impact, timely and accurate diagnosis is crucial for controlling its spread and improving patient outcomes.
Several diagnostic approaches are used to detect TB. The conventional method is the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST), also known as the Mantoux test. However, this method has...
Endocarditis III: Medical Management01:18

Endocarditis III: Medical Management

Infective endocarditis management involves a multifaceted approach encompassing infection prevention, lifestyle modifications, pharmacological therapy, and surgical management.Infection Prevention:Hand Hygiene: Thorough handwashing is crucial to prevent the spread of infection. Hand hygiene should be performed regularly, especially before and after using the restroom.Oral Hygiene: Good oral hygiene is essential. It includes brushing teeth immediately after waking up and before bed, flossing...
Candidiasis01:20

Candidiasis

Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by opportunistic species of Candida. It can affect various anatomical sites, including the skin, oral cavity, nails, and genitourinary tract. Among its forms, vaginal candidiasis is the most common type of mucosal infection. It typically results from the overgrowth of Candida albicans in the vaginal mucosa. Under normal conditions, C. albicans exists as a commensal organism within the vaginal microbiota, regulated by the dominance of lactobacilli, which...