Fatal Pulmonary Mucormycosis in a Renal Transplant Recipient: A Missed Opportunistic Infection

Pulmonary mucormycosis has a high mortality rate if not diagnosed promptly. Early diagnosis and aggressive antifungal treatment, along with surgical debridement, can improve outcomes. We present a case of a 55-year-old African American man with end-stage renal disease who developed fatal pulmonary mucor seven months following his second deceased donor kidney transplant. This case highlights the pitfalls of empiric approaches to infections in immunocompromised hosts, assumptions based on the presence of concomitant organisms that may be present and the importance of accurate interpretation of serologic testing. The aim of this case report is to emphasize the critical importance of considering opportunistic infection in the differential diagnosis, as well as the need for early tissue diagnosis when solid organ transplant recipients present with pulmonary infections.