Successful treatment of a kidney transplant patient with COVID-19 and late-onset Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia

Background Solid transplant patients are susceptible to Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP). While the vast majority of PJP cases occur within the first 6 months after transplantation, very few PJP cases are seen beyond 1 year post-transplantation (late-onset PJP). PJP and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19, caused by infection with SARS-CoV-2) share quite a few common clinical manifestations and imaging findings, making the diagnosis of PJP often underappreciated during the current COVID-19 pandemic. To date, only 1 case of kidney transplantation who developed COVID-19 and late-onset PJP has been reported, but this patient also suffered from many other infections and died from respiratory failure and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. A successful treatment of kidney patients with COVID-19 and late-onset PJP has not been reported. Case presentation We present a case of a 55-year-old male kidney transplant patient with COVID-19 who also developed late-onset PJP. He received a combined treatment strategy, including specific anti-pneumocystis therapy, symptomatic supportive therapy, adjusted immunosuppressive therapy, and use of antiviral drugs/antibiotics, ending with a favorable outcome. Conclusions This case highlights the importance of prompt and differential diagnosis of PJP in kidney transplant patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further studies are required to clarify if kidney transplant patients with COVID-19 could be prone to develop late-onset PJP and how these patients should be treated.

OV14 POSTERIOR COMPONENT SEPARATION FOR A GIANT LUMBAR HERNIA IN A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT PATIENT

Aim Posterior component separation with transversus abdominis release (PCS-TAR) represents a good option for challenging complex ventral hernia repairs. We present a case of PCS-TAR for a giant lumbar hernia in a patient with a transplanted kidney. Material and Methods The patient is a 46 years old man with a Charlson Comorbidity Index of 2 and a BMI of 27.5 kg/m2 who underwent a kidney transplant in 2005 and a subsequent open repair with mesh implantation for an incisional hernia in 2007. Two years later, he experienced a hernia recurrence, but chose conservative management. In 2019, the patient complained of progressively worsening pain and bulky sensation. Due to the size and location of the defect and the massive relaxation of the muscle fibers, open repair with PCS-TAR was indicated. Results In 2019, the patient underwent right-sided PCS-TAR with retromuscular placement of one polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) mesh and one biosynthetic mesh. Duration of the procedure was 295 minutes. Two drains were placed, respectively in the subfascial and in the subcutaneous plane. Postoperative course required non-invasive ventilation for respiratory distress, but was otherwise uneventful and he was discharged on postoperative day 8. After 12 months, the patient showed no signs of recurrence. Conclusions PCS-TAR is a versatile technique for the repair of complex ventral hernias, with an acceptable rate of postoperative complications and good long-term outcomes.

Chromoblastomycosis Due to a Never-before-Seen Dematiaceous Fungus in a Kidney Transplant Patient

Chromoblastomycosis is a neglected fungal infection of the epidermis and subcutaneous tissue that predominates in tropical areas and results from the traumatic inoculation of environmental dematiaceous filamentous fungi. We describe the case of an immunosuppressed patient diagnosed with foot chromoblastomycosis due to an uncommon dematiaceous fungus. A 52-year-old Congolese kidney transplant woman presented with a painful lesion located on the foot. No trauma to the lower limbs was reported during the previous months. She lived in France and had not returned to the Congo over the previous eight years. Histology and mycological examination from skin biopsy revealed swollen dark filaments associated with dematiaceous muriform cells, pathognomonic of chromoblastomycosis. Cultures grew with dark pigmented colonies, yielding poor microscopic features. The phylogenetic analysis confirmed that the isolate was a member of Kirschsteiniotheliales (Dothideomycetes) and unrelated to the Chaetotyriales, of which most species commonly responsible for chromoblastomycosis belong. As there was no bone spreading, excision surgery of the entire lesion followed by liposomal amphotericin B therapy resulted in complete healing after six months. This original case illustrates the potential diversity of environmental dematiaceous fungi responsible for phaeohyphomycosis, especially chromoblastomycosis, and the need to send samples to mycology labs for appropriate diagnosis.

Emergence of E484K Mutation Following Bamlanivimab Monotherapy among High-Risk Patients Infected with the Alpha Variant of SARS-CoV-2

An Emergency Use Authorization was issued in the United States and in Europe for a monoclonal antibody monotherapy to prevent severe COVID-19 in high-risk patients. This study aimed to assess the risk of emergence of mutations following treatment with a single monoclonal antibody. Bamlanivimab was administered at a single dose of 700 mg in a one-hour IV injection in a referral center for the management of COVID-19 in France. Patients were closely monitored clinically and virologically with nasopharyngeal RT-PCR and viral whole genome sequencing. Six patients were treated for a nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 infection, all males, with a median age of 65 years and multiple comorbidities. All patients were infected with a B.1.1.7 variant, which was the most frequent variant in France at the time, and no patients had E484 mutations at baseline. Bamlanivimab was infused in the six patients within 4 days of the COVID-19 diagnosis. Four patients had a favorable outcome, one died of complications unrelated to COVID-19 or bamlanivimab, and one kidney transplant patient treated with belatacept died from severe COVID-19 more than 40 days after bamlanivimab administration. Virologically, four patients cleared nasopharyngeal viral shedding within one month after infusion, while two presented prolonged viral excretion for more than 40 days. The emergence of E484K mutants was observed in five out of six patients, and the last patient presented a Q496R mutation potentially associated with resistance. CONCLUSIONS: These results show a high risk of emergence of resistance mutants in COVID-19 patients treated with monoclonal antibody monotherapy.

DRESS Syndrome Associated with Liposomal Amphotericin-B in a Kidney Transplant Patient: A case report

Introduction: Liposomal amphotericin B is a widely used broad-spectrum antifungal drug. It was developed to reduce nephrotoxicity and maximize the therapeutic utility of amphotericin B in the treatment of invasive fungal infections. Drug Rash with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is a severe drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome commonly associated with aromatic antiepileptic drugs. Liposomal amphotericin-B was associated with DRESS syndrome in only one case. Case Report: We report an exceptional case of possible DRESS syndrome associated with Liposomal amphotericin B in a 31-year-old male, renal transplant recipient. Seventeen days after starting Liposomal amphotericin B for visceral leishmaniosis, he developed a skin rash, with elevated liver tests. Liposomal amphotericin B was discontinued. A favourable outcome was slowly observed in one month. Results and Conclusion: This case was scored two (possible case) based on the criteria adopted by the European group RegiSCAR. The Naranjo score for Liposomal amphotericin B was four (possible).