Background: Leuconostoc spp. are vancomycin resistant Gram positive lactobacilli. Little is known about their significance in transplant recipients.
Case report: A 64-year-old female liver transplant recipient developed Leuconostoc sepsis originating from a bile leak after extended exposure to vancomycin. The infection was readily controlled clindamycin, however, the patient died later on unrelated to the infection. Five articles on Leuconostoc infections in transplant patients were found in PubMed including two liver recipients with intraabdominal infection due to biliary complications and four stem cell recipients with sepsis.
Conclusions: Leuconostoc spp. should be considered pathogens in transplant recipients who are exposed to vancomycin.