Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

Induction of Petite Colonies in Candida glabrate via Rose Bengal-Mediated Photodynamic Therapy
09:06

Induction of Petite Colonies in Candida glabrate via Rose Bengal-Mediated Photodynamic Therapy

Published on: March 29, 2024

Disseminated candidiasis developing during prophylaxis with fluconazole in a small-intestine transplant recipient

Sükran Köse1, Melda Türken, Gülgün Akkoçlu

  • 1Izmir Tepecik Education and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.

Progress in Transplantation (Aliso Viejo, Calif.)
|April 12, 2012
PubMed

Insights

A small-intestine transplant patient on antifungal prophylaxis developed invasive candidiasis. Despite treatment, the patient died from complications related to immunosuppression and disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Area of Science:

  • Medicine
  • Transplant Surgery
  • Mycology

Background:

  • Solid-organ transplant recipients often require immunosuppressive therapy, increasing susceptibility to opportunistic infections.
  • Prophylactic antifungal medication is common in transplant patients to prevent fungal infections.

Observation:

  • A 31-year-old male received a small-intestine transplant and prophylactic oral fluconazole.
  • The patient experienced acute rejection and presented with white plaques on endoscopy.
  • Blood and urine cultures revealed Candida albicans, with biopsy confirming fungal elements.

Findings:

  • Invasive candidiasis developed despite prophylactic fluconazole.
  • Intravenous caspofungin treatment led to regression of candidal findings on endoscopy.
  • The patient ultimately died three months post-transplant due to bone marrow suppression and disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Implications:

  • Candida species are a significant cause of invasive fungal infections in transplant recipients.
  • Candidemia can occur even with systemic antifungal treatment, carrying a high mortality risk.
  • Close monitoring for invasive fungal infections is crucial in immunocompromised transplant patients.

More Related Videos

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation via Colonoscopy for Recurrent C. difficile Infection07:06

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation via Colonoscopy for Recurrent C. difficile Infection

Published on: December 8, 2014

Examination of Oral Candida Infection in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Patients05:26

Examination of Oral Candida Infection in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Patients

Published on: March 1, 2024

Related Concept Videos

Fungal Phylum Microsporidia01:28

Fungal Phylum Microsporidia

Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...
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 I01:29

Pulmonary Tuberculosis I

Tuberculosis, often called TB, is a contagious illness primarily caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It mainly affects the lung parenchyma but can also impact other body parts.
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...