Cryptococcus neoformans Infective Endocarditis After Lung Transplantation A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Cryptococcus neoformans infective endocarditis is rarely reported. In this report, we present a case of infective endocarditis secondary to C. neoformans in a lung transplant recipient and review the relevant literature. A 65-year-old man was hospitalized with hypoxemic respiratory failure and underwent left-sided single lung transplantation. In the setting of worsening hypoxemia, blood cultures were drawn, which grew C. neoformans. Lumbar puncture was performed, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was also positive for Cryptococcus. Further exposure history revealed that he had raised chickens while living in Peru. Transesophageal echocardiography showed an aortic valve vegetation, and he was diagnosed with cryptococcal infective endocarditis. He received liposomal amphotericin B and flucytosine for 2 weeks and was later transitioned to fluconazole. This case highlights the need for thorough social history before lung transplantation, as pulmonary colonization with C. neoformans may result in infective endocarditis after immunosuppression.

Automated summary

This report presented a case of infective endocarditis secondary to C. neoformans in a lung transplant recipient, highlighting the importance of thorough social history before lung transplantation to prevent infective endocarditis caused by C. neoformans pulmonary colonization after immunosuppression.