Vascular Graft Infection with Candida Albicans: Case Report

Abstract

This paper reports a patient with a pure Candida albicans vascular graft infection. Presentation was notable for the absence of systemic signs and symp toms of infection, minimal local tissue reaction, and a paucity of organisms in the initial pathologic specimen. The clinical course with multiple episodes of bleeding, the associated pathologic finding of vein necrosis, plus the repeated finding of yeast in tissue sections and in culture implicate the fungus as the cause of local pathology. This paper presents the patient, describes risk factors and possible mechanisms for infection, speculates on the reasons for the rarity of documented candida graft infections, and discusses the implications for patient management.