Risk factors for intra‐abdominal fungal infection after simultaneous pancreas‐kidney transplantation: A single‐center retrospective experience

Background Data on the risk factors and outcome of intra‐abdominal fungal infections (IAFI) following simultaneous pancreas‐kidney transplantation (PKT) are scarce. Materials/methods A retrospective monocentric study was conducted on all patients who underwent simultaneous PKT from January 2007 to December 2016. Deep sites positive cultures for fungi during the first post‐transplantation year were collected. Clinical, radiological, and microbiological data of proven and probable invasive fungal infections were analysed. Results Among sixteen PKT patients, 15 were included. Seven patients (47%) developed an invasive fungal infection, exclusively IAFI (six proven, one probable). The proven IAFI included four peritonitis, one pancreatic necrosis with infected hematoma, and one patient with positive preservation fluid only (PF). Candida albicans (n = 4) was the most prevalent species (associated with Galactomyces candidus in one case), C glabrata, C dubliniensis, and C krusei were found in one case each. Three patients had either a positive direct examination and/or culture for renal or pancreatic PF and the culture of PF was positive for the same species that caused IAFI. IAFIs were significantly associated with pancreatic graft arterial thrombosis (5/7 vs 0/8, P = .007) and fungal contamination of PF (3/7 vs 0/8, P = .008). Among patients with IAFI, all required an early surgical revision post‐transplantation [1‐18 days] and six had early or delayed pancreatic graft removal. One patient died in the first post‐transplant year. Conclusion IAFI is a common complication in PKT, associated with pancreatic graft thrombosis or fungal contamination of the graft PF, and can sometimes lead to pancreatic detransplantation.