Mycobacterial infections in heart transplant recipients

doi:10.5606/tgkdc.dergisi.2015.10700

Shi-Min Yuan

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The First Hospital of Putian, Teaching Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Putian, China

DOI : 10.5606/tgkdc.dergisi.2015.10700

Mycobacterial infections frequently develop as a consequence of immunosuppression and are often a causative cause of morbidity and mortality. Epidemiology and clinical characteristics of mycobacterial infections after solid organ and stem cell transplantation have been well-described. However, due to the rarity of clinical data, the pertinent aspects of mycobacterial infection after heart transplantation remain to be clarified. A comprehensive literature collection revealed mycobacterial infections after heart transplantation usually developed late after transplantation. Cutaneous and pulmonary infections were the most common with Mycobacteria tuberculosis being the prevailing pathogen. Unlike in solid organ transplant recipients, non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections in heart transplant recipients were sporadic with no prevailing species. Combined drug therapy seemed to be more effective than monotherapy. The overall survival rate was 84.2%.

Keywords : Heart transplantation; microbiology; mycobacterium

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