Candida albicans osteomyelitis in a liver transplant recipient: A case report and review of the literature

A 51-year-old man developed fever and back pain 2 months after orthotopic liver transplantation for end-stage liver disease secondary to chronic hepatitis C infection. CT scan demonstrated destructive lesions in T12 suggestive of osteomyelitis. Aspiration biopsy of the vertebra revealed granulomatous inflammation and yeast forms; culture yielded Candida albicans. The patient improved with intravenous amphotericin B and 5-fluorocytosine and did not require surgical intervention. Candida osteomyelitis is a rare condition and to our knowledge it has not been reported before in liver transplant recipients. Awareness of this potential complication may shorten the delay in making the definitive diagnosis, which in turn may increase the likelihood of a response without sequela.