Chromoblastomycosis in Korea / 대한의진균학회지

ABSTRACT

The dematiaceous fungi, characterized by having melanin in their cell walls, have become significant due to an increasing cause of human skin disease in Korea. Chromoblastomycosis is subcutaneous mycotic disease that contains sclerotic cells or muriform cells and histologically show pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia with microabscess, and phaeohyphomycosis is a group of mycotic infections that contain dematiaceous yeast-like cells, pseudohypae-like elements, hyphae or combination of these form in tissue. Ten Korean cases of subcutaneous chromoblastomycosis have been reported to date, four males and five females, ranging in age from 37~68 (mean 53.8 years). Causative organisms of subcutaneous chromoblastomycosis were eight of Fonsecaea pedrosoi and one of Phialophora verrucosa. Nine cases of erythematous or verrucous plaque and one case of ulcer were present skin lesion, and most of exposed areas of the body except one case. Patients were treated with itraconazole, terbinafine, 5-flucytocine or amphotericin B.