A Case of Cutaneous Alternariosis / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

Alternaria species belong to the group of dematiacious fungi that have increasingly been reported as pathogens in immunocompromised patients, although cutaneous infection is regarded as a rare opportunistic infection. We describe a case of cutaneous alternariosis in a 66 year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis. The lesions showed asymptomatic, edematous, violaceous scaly patches on both forearms. Histopathologic findings revealed chronic granulomatous inflammation, and PAS staining identified hyphae and spores. The organism was finally isolated as alternaria species by repeated fungal cultures of the tissue. Treatment with 200mg/day oral itraconazole for three months resulted in a marked regression of the skin lesions.