Phycomycosis Involving Ankle Joint: Report of a case

ABSTRACT

Phycomycosis is an uncommon opportunistic fungal infection, involving several organs, such as brain, lungs, gastrointestinal tract and skin. Invasion of joint cavity by phycomycetes, however, has never been reported. We report a case of 33-year-old male who had had prehallux with congenital equinovarus and underwent correction operation on the right ankle joint. There after, joint pain and edema had developed on that site. He received reoperation and underwent excisional biopsy from there. Operation showed hypertrophied yellowish synovium. On microscopic examination, the tissue showed several foci of fibrinoid necrosis and suppurative and granulomatuous inflammation. Periodic acid Schiff stain demonstrated broad. Aseptate hyphae that were wrinkled and folded.