ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There have been many studies about sporotrichosis in Korean dermatological literature. However, a few studies have reported on subcutaneous mycoses other than sporotrichosis. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical and etiological aspects of subcutaneous mycoses. METHODS: In the 20-year-period 1996-2015, we reviewed seventeen patients with subcutaneous mycoses with in regards to the age, gender, occupation, trauma history and associated diseases. The patients with subcutaneous mycoses were further evaluated concerning the clinical manifestations, histopathology, culture of organisms and treatment. RESULTS: Age of the subcutaneous mycosis was most prevalent in the sixties (35.2%). The male-tofemale ratio was 1:1.8. Most patients were farmers (52.8%), although preceding trauma was noted in seven patients (41.2%). The most common skin lesion was erythematous plaque (58.7%), followed by abscess, ulcer, papule and nodule. The most frequently involved area was upper extremities (58.8%), followed by face, and lower extremities. Hyalohyphomycosis was the most common infection in 6 cases (35.2%), followed by sporotrichosis (5 cases, 29.4%), chromoblastomycosis (4 cases, 23.5%), phaeohyphomycosis (2 cases, 11.8%). Sporothrix species was the most common etiological agent (29.4%), followed by Fonsecaea (23.5%), Scedosporium (17.6%), Exophiala (11.8%), Fusarium, Paecilomyces, and Cephalotheca (5.9%), respectively. Most patients responded well to therapy. CONCLUSION: Because of the increase in subcutaneous mycoses other than sporotrichosis, there is a the need for careful mycological examination in patients with subcutaneous mycoses.
ABSTRACT
Kerion celsi is a severe inflammatory type of tinea capitis that presents as a boggy mass studded with broken hairs, oozing purulent material from follicular orifices. This infection is caused most commonly by zoophilic or geophilic pathogens. Trichophyton(T.) rubrum is an anthropophilic dermatophyte that is found all over the world. It has become one of the most important causative agents in tinea unguium and tinea pedis. But, kerion celsi caused by T. rubrum is rare. Kerion celsi is uncommon in adult. We report a case of kerion celsi caused by T. rubrum in a 72-year-old woman. She presented with localized tender erythematous plaques with pustules with oozing purulent material on the frontal scalp. A fungal culture from tissue of the lesions was grown on Sabouraud's dextrose agar and showed typical whitish cottony colonies of T. rubrum. The nucleotide sequence of internal transcribed spacer region for clinical isolate was identical to that of T. rubrum strain UZ1588_14 (GenBank accession number KP326579.1). She was treated with 200 mg of oral itraconazole daily for 3 months. The skin lesions improved 1 month after treatment, and recurrence has not been observed.
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Agar , Arthrodermataceae , Base Sequence , Glucose , Hair , Itraconazole , Onychomycosis , Recurrence , Scalp , Skin , Tinea Capitis , Tinea Pedis , TrichophytonABSTRACT
Onychomycosis is caused by dermatophytes usually, but some species of nondermatophytic molds and yeasts are also associated with invasion of nails. Aspergillus(A.) terreus is a nondermatophytic mold which is opportunistic filamentous fungus in all environments. We report a case of onychomycosis caused by A. terreus in a 60-year-old male. The patient showed brownish yellow discoloration with hyperkeratotic change on the distal and lateral portion of both toenails. Direct microscopic examination of scraping on the potassium hydroxide preparation revealed septate hyphae and repeated cultures on Sabouraud's dextrose agar showed the velvety, cinnamon brown colonies. Biseriate and compactly columnar phialides that cover upper vesicle with conidial structure were shown in the slide culture. The DNA sequence of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of clinical sample was 99% match to that of A. terreus strain ATCC 20542 (GenBank accession number GU256759.1). We confirmed A. terreus by KOH mount, colony, light microscopic morphology and DNA sequence analysis. The patient was treated with 200 mg oral itraconazole daily and topical 5% amorolfine nail lacquer for 3 months.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Agar , Arthrodermataceae , Aspergillus , Base Sequence , Cinnamomum zeylanicum , Fungi , Glucose , Hyphae , Itraconazole , Lacquer , Nails , Onychomycosis , Potassium , Sequence Analysis, DNA , YeastsABSTRACT
Trichophyton(T.) rubrum is an anthropophilic dermatophyte that is found all over the world. It has become one of the most important causative agents in tinea pedis and onychomycosis. But tinea capitis caused by T. rubrum is rare. Tinea capitis is uncommon in an adult. We report a case of tinea capitis caused by T. rubrum in an 81-year-old woman. She presented with localized asymptomatic well-demarcated thick scaly erythematous patches on the fronto-vertex scalp for 6 months. She was diagnosed as seborrheic dermatitis in local clinic and was treated with topical steroid. However, the lesion was not improved and spreading. Culture from scalp lesion of patient was grown on Sabouraud's dextrose agar and showed typical whitish cottony colonies of T. rubrum. She was treated with 200 mg of oral itraconazole daily for 8 weeks. The skin lesions improved 8 weeks after treatment, and recurrence has not been observed.