Refractory Giardiasis in a kidney transplant recipient

Abstract

Giardiasis is a relatively rare parasitic infection causing gastrointestinal disease in patients after a solid organ transplant. In the background of immunosuppression, the infection is often missed and hence can lead to complications. Here, we present a case of a patient who received a living donor kidney transplant and later presented with persistent diarrhoea and acute allograft dysfunction. The patient was investigated for potential causes of diarrhoea in the post-transplant setting. As the patient continued to have symptoms, an endoscopic biopsy from the duodenum was done, which clinched the diagnosis.

Keywords

• diarrhoea
• renal transplant
• immunosuppression
• giardiasis