Malakoplakia in Thoracic Transplant Recipients

Malakoplakia is a rare granulomatous disease characterized by the presence of Michaelis-Gutmann bodies on histopathologic analysis. Lesions manifest in a wide range of organs with cutaneous, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary systems being most common, and often result in significant comorbidities owing largely to misdiagnoses and the similar appearance to malignancy or granulomatous processes. Most patients are immunocompromised, including the solid-organ transplant population. Among organ recipients, malakoplakia is most commonly seen in renal transplantation, and only rarely reported in thoracic organ recipients. Herein we report 2 cases of malakoplakia in thoracic transplant patients that highlight the critical need for tissue diagnosis to avoid delay in management.