Oral phaeohyphomycosis in a patient with squamocellular carcinoma of the lip: second case report

Abstract This communication reports the second known case of oral phaeohyphomycosis in a patient with squamocellular carcinoma of the lip. The patient, an 82-year-old black woman, a former smoker (for more than 30 years), suffering from an ulcerous vegetative lesion in the middle third of the lower lip for approximately 12 months. The result of the histopathological analysis indicated carcinoma, with well-differentiated keratinized squamous cells and the presence of septate mycelial filaments. In the direct mycological examination, thick and dematiaceous septate mycelial filaments were observed. After the resection surgery, the patient did not need to use an antifungal drug to treat the phaeohyphomycosis, and no follow-up radiotherapy was needed to treat the squamocellular carcinoma. We stress that the presence of the squamocellular lesion of the lip was a possible contributing factor to the infection.

Feohifomicosis causada por Colletotrichum gloeosporioides y Alternaria infectoria en un paciente trasplantado renal / Phaeohyphomycosis caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Alternaría infectoria in renal transplant recipient

Several species of black fungi have been reported as agents of subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis. Although most of these fungi are considered opportunistic pathogens, they play an important role in phaeohyphomycosis, a disease considered an emergent mycosis among solid organ recipients. We report a case of phaeohyphomycosis caused by Alternaria infectoria of the left hand and the 4th finger of the right hand of a 68-year-old male who underwent a renal transplant 35 months before. The lesion was treated with surgical excision. One year later, the patient presented a new lesion on the 5th finger of the right hand, but this time caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides that was also removed surgically. Both lesions did not relapse after being removed. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed against five antifungal drugs (amphotericin B, itraconazole, flucytosine, fluconazole and voriconazole). Alternaria infectoria was resistant to all five drugs and C. gloeosporioides was sensitive only to amphotericin B and voriconazole. We emphasize the need of histopathologic and microbiologic studies of new lesions of phaeohyphomycosis, since in this case the same patient was infected twice by two different fungi.

Diversas especies de hongos negros han sido descritos como agentes de feohifomicosis subcutáneas. A pesar que la gran mayoría de estos se consideran como oportunistas, juegan un papel importante en la feohifomicosis, enfermedad considerada una micosis emergente en pacientes trasplantados de órganos sólidos. Reportamos un caso de feohifomicosis subcutánea causada por Alternaria infectoria en el dorso de la mano izquierda y 4° falange de la mano derecha de un paciente de sexo masculino de 68 años de edad, que había sido sometido a un trasplante de riñón 35 meses antes. Se realizó escisión quirúrgica de la lesión. Después de un año, el paciente presentó una nueva lesión, esta vez en la 5° falange de la mano derecha causada por Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, lesión que también fue removida quirúrgicamente. El paciente no presentó nuevas lesiones después de las cirugías. Las pruebas de susceptibilidad antifúngica fueron realizados utilizando cinco antifúngicos (anfotericina B, itraconazol, 5-fluorcitosina, fluconazol y voriconazol). Alternaria infectoria presentó resistencia a los cinco antifíngicos y C. gloeosporioides fue susceptible solamente a anfotericina B y voriconazol. Enfatizamos la necesidad de realizar estudios histopatológicas y microbiológicos de nuevas lesiones de feohifomicosis, ya que el mismo paciente fue infectado por dos hongos diferentes.

Case for diagnosis

Subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis is an infection caused by dematiaceous fungi which mainly affects immunosuppressed patients. We report a case of subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis on the back of the left hand in a kidney transplant patient who had been taking prednisone, tacrolimus, and azathioprine daily for 3 years.

Feohifomicosis subcutánea en un paciente trasplantado renal / Subcutaneous pheohyphomycosis in a renal transplanted patient

La feohifomicosis es una entidad poco frecuente causada por hongos formadores de hifas de la familia Dematiaceae, afecta principalmente a pacientes inmunosuprimidos, produce lesiones subcutáneas en forma de quistes y pseudoquistes que en su mayoría se tratan con la exéresis quirúrgica y tratamiento medicamentoso con anfotericin B e itraconazol. Se describió un caso de feohifomicosis, en un paciente masculino de 38 años de edad, con antecedentes de enfermedad renal crónica, hepatitis por virus C adquirida en hemodiálisis. Recibe trasplante renal en el 2010 y se le aplica triple terapia inmunosupresora, tacrolimus, micofenolato mofetil y prednisona. Desarrolla diabetes mellitus postrasplante. Un año después del injerto, comienza a presentar lesiones dermatológicas pseudoquísticas violáceas, solitarias, que forman conglomerados, en la pantorrilla, el tobillo y los dedos de ambos pies. Mediante examen clínico, micológico y por biopsia de la lesión se diagnostica feohifomicosis. Se realizó tratamiento quirúrgico con exéresis de las lesiones y medicamentoso con itraconazol 200 mg al día, se modificó el tratamiento inmunosupresor según interacción del itraconazol con los anticalcineurínicos, se sustituyó este por everolimus. Tres meses después se observó evolución satisfactoria

Pheohyphomycosis is a rare disease caused by Dematiaceae family hypha-forming fungi; it mainly affects immunosuppresed patients and causes subcutaneous lesions in the form of cysts and pseudocysts that are mostly treated with surgery and amphotericin B and Itraconazol-based treatment. A case of pheohyphomycosis was presented in a 38 years-old man with a history of chronic renal disease and of hepatitis C caught in hemodialysis. He was a renal transplant recipient in 2010 and was administered a triple immunosuppressive treatment with tacrolimus, mycophenolate mophetil and prednisone. He developed post-transplant diabetes mellitus and one year after the transplantation, he presented with purplish blue-colored pseudocystic dermatological lesions forming clusters in his calves, ankles and toes. The clinical, mycological and biopsy exams of the lesions yielded the diagnosis of pheohyphomycosis. The lesions were surgically removed and then 200mg of itraconazol was administered daily. This treatment was changed on account of the interaction between itraconazol and the anti-calcineuric drugs. The patient was then prescribed everolimus. Three months later, the patient recovered satisfactorily