Carneiro HA, Coleman JJ, Restrepo A et al. Medicine 2011;90:69–80.
These authors studied Fusarium infection in lung transplant recipients. Six patients were examined, plus three published cases in the literature. Positive cultures were obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage, sputum, and blood. Despite the treatment of eight of the patients, the mortality rate was 67%.
Infections are one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in lung transplant recipients [1]. Invasive fungal infection (IFI) occurs in 14–32% of lung transplant patients, and fungal pneumonias significantly contribute to the 35% of pneumonia deaths in the first year following lung transplantation. Despite the use of fluconazole prophylaxis, which resulted in a significant reduction in yeast (Candida) infections, mold infections are now increasing in incidence. Aspergillus spp.are still the number one causative agent, but Fusarium spp.infections have risen to become the second leading cause of IFI. Fusarium spp. most commonly associated with clinical disease belong to the F solani complex, the F oxysporum complex, and the Gibberella fujikuroi complex.