[A case of disseminated Penicillium marneffei infection in a liver transplant recipient]

Abstract

Penicillium marneffei is the only dimorphic fungus among Penicillium spp. that can cause a fatal infection in immunocompromised patients. P. marneffei is endemic in Southeast Asia and eastern China. P. marneffei infection is an AIDS-defining illness and the third most common opportunistic infection in the endemic regions. Here, the authors report a case of disseminated P. marneffei infection in a patient who underwent liver transplantation in China. During the hospital stay, the mold form of the fungus that produced a red wine-colored pigment on the agar plate was isolated from the patient's urine, transtracheal aspirate, and blood. The fungus was identified as P. marneffei by direct sequencing of the D1-D2 and ITS regions. Thermal dimorphism was also confirmed by subculturing the colony at 37 degrees C. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first Korean case of disseminated P. marneffei infection in a liver transplant recipient.