Evaluation of Candida Infection after Six Months of Transplantation in Pediatric Liver Recipients in Iran

Background: Liver transplantation (LT) is the standard treatment of end-stage liver diseases (ESLD). Invasive fungal infection is one of the important causes of morbidity and mortality after transplantation. Objective: To determine the incidence of late-onset (after 6 months of LT) Candida infection in recipients. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate 50 pediatric patients after LT for 8 years at the LT Unit of Nemazee Hospital affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. We followed the patients until 6 months post-LT for episodes of Candida infection proven by culture. Results: One recipient (2%) developed late-onset esophageal candidiasis with improvement after intravenous amphotricin therapy but finally expired with a diagnosis of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD). Conclusions: The incidence of late-onset Candida infection is not significant in pediatric liver recipient, but it still remains a significant problem. Control of Candida colonization would reduce the risk of invasive fungal infections and possibly more fatal complications.