Early Cardiopulmonary Cryptococcus neoformans Infection After Liver Transplant: A Case Report

Cryptococcal infection (CI) is an uncommon fungal disease that poses a particular fatal risk to liver transplant (LT) recipients because of the potential rapid development and dissemination of the disease. Depending on the pathophysiology, CI may manifest with a wide range of clinical presentations that may delay early diagnosis and timely treatment. Additionally, most anticryptococcal therapies may threaten LT recipients owing to the associated hepatotoxicity of these medications. We report a case of a 25-year-old woman who received an LT for cryptogenic cirrhosis and developed rapidly progressive CI with pulmonary, myocardial, and cerebral involvement within a month of transplantation. She presented with severe pulmonary hypertension refractory to medical management and subsequently died despite our efforts. Herein, we review the etiology of cryptococcosis, the natural history of cryptococcal disease, and standard treatments for CI, and we highlight peculiarities of Cryptococcus neoformans infection in solid organ transplant recipients.