Case Report: Heart Transplantation for Refractory <i>Candida tropicalis</i> Endocarditis: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Candida infective endocarditis presents therapeutic challenges with high mortality. A complex case of Candida prosthetic valve endocarditis refractory to standard antifungals (anidulafungin and fluconazole) and high-dose caspofungin was successfully treated with heart transplantation. The literature review revealed a few cases of bacterial endocarditis successfully treated with heart transplantation, but with only two transplanted cases of fungal endocarditis. This report explores heart transplantation as a last resort for managing refractory infective endocarditis. The patient is still alive and free of infection, two and a half years after transplantation.

Keywords

• fungal endocarditis
• heart transplantation
• antifungal therapy
• <i>Candida</i> infection