Mucormycosis in organ and stem cell transplant recipients

Abstract

Mucormycosis is a devastating invasive fungal disease whose incidence has increased during the past decade. Mucormycosis now represents a major threat in transplant recipients, accounting for 2% and 8% of invasive fungal infections in recent cohorts of solid-organ and allogeneic stem-cell transplant recipients, respectively. Mucormycosis most often occurs late, >3 months after transplantation, although cases occurring early have been observed, especially among liver transplant recipients and in cases of graft-transmitted infection. Recent guidelines have emphasized the direct examination of the involved fluid or tissue and culture from a sterile site as the most appropriate diagnostic strategy and the use of lipid formulations of amphotericin B and major surgery when feasible as the most appropriate first-line therapeutic strategy for mucormycosis in organ and stem cell transplant recipients. © 2012 The Author.