Should all tubercular cavities be left alone? Lessons from a heart transplant

We present the case of a 50-year-old man who underwent orthotopic heart transplantation for dilated cardiomyopathy with a history of treated pulmonary tuberculosis 10  years pre-transplant. One year post-transplantation, he was admitted with recurrent productive cough and was evaluated to have intracavitory aspergillosis of the lung. He was started on medical therapy with reduction in immunosuppression, but succumbed later with allograft rejection and multiorgan failure. Management of invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised host is a real challenge. Management protocol should be individualised.
Source: Indian Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Source Type: research