Case of esophagitis in a posttransplant female patient

Abstract

Background: Renal transplant patients are at high risk for bacterial, viral and fungal infections. The infections occur characteristically within well-defined risk periods after transplantation, but their clinical presentation is frequently atypical. Candida albicans is the normal part of body flora but in immunocompromized patient this pathogen may lead to severe opportunistic diseases.

Case report: A case of esophageal candidosis due to Candida albicans in a 56-year-old female patient, who was one year after kidney transplantation, is reported. The clinical manifestations of gastrointestinal candidosis were atypical and the patient was initially suspected of having a malignancy. She developed several complications of esophageal candidiasis such as ulceration, bleeding and esophageal obstruction secondary to stricture and mycetoma formation. Eventually the patient achieved clinical and mycological recovery after the prolonged treatment with systemic antimycotics.

Conclusions: The fungal infections may occur in different periods after transplantation, have atypical manifestations and require systemic long-term therapy.