Cryptococcosis after heart transplantation: A literature review and case report.

Dear Editors, I Cryptococcus neoformans i is an endemic encapsulated yeast found worldwide in soil, decaying wood, and bird excreta, which can lead to opportunistic infection in immunocompromised individuals.[1] In the solid-organ transplant population, the incidence of cryptococcosis is about 2.8%,[2] comprising 8% of invasive fungal infections.[3] Post-transplant, the median onset of cryptococcosis ranges from 16 to 21 months,[[1], [4]] but early infection less than 30 days after transplant is rare. Although candidiasis is the most common invasive fungal infection early after organ transplantation,[[3], [5]] this patient had environmental risk factors for cryptococcosis. Overall, as cryptococcosis is an uncommon infection, current transplant infectious disease guidelines do not recommend routine antifungal prophylaxis against I Cryptococcus i or routine screening of transplant recipients.[[1], [14]] Similarly, the initial empiric treatment of sepsis in transplant patients do not include the routine use of antifungal agents. Therefore, the patient likely acquired cryptococcosis after heart transplantation upon returning to his farm. [Extracted from the article]