A Case of Cutaneous Alternariosis / 대한의진균학회지

ABSTRACT

Alternaria species are common plant pathogens and saprophytic fungi. Cutaneous alternariosis is rare and an opportunistic infection in both healthy and immunosuppressed hosts. We report a case of cutaneous alternariosis developed in a 60-year-old female with iatrogenic Cushing syndrome. She had several various sized confluent suppurative ulcers on erythematous plaques on the both forearm clinically. Histology showed mixed-cell granulomatous infiltration with epithelioid cells, lymphocytes, neutrophils and a few plasma cells in the dermis. Many branching septate hyphae and spores were noted within the granulomatous tissue stained with PAS. A fungal culture from biopsy specimen revealed Alternaria species; pigmented hyphae and cornidia which had both transverse and longitudinal septae. The cutaneous lesions treated with terbinafine, 250 mg daily, for 3 months and 1 year later there is no evidence of recurrence.