Trichosporon cutaneum (Trichosporon asahii) infection mimicking hand eczema in a patient with leukemia.

Abstract

Trichosporon Cutaneum is a yeast-like fungus that causes white piedra and onychomycosis. Recently, it has also been recognized as an opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised hosts. We describe a 64-year-old woman who developed a superficial Trichosporon infection mimicking hand eczema during chemotherapy for her chronic myelocytic leukemia. To our knowledge, no cases of superficial infection like this one have previously been reported. This case suggests that careful examination is required in diagnosing Trichosporon infection in immunocompromised hosts, because the infection can be invasive or unusual in appearance.

• Authors: T Nakagawa, K Nakashima, T Takaiwa, K Negayama
• Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (J Am Acad Dermatol) Vol. 42 Issue 5 Pt 2 Pg. 929-31 (May 2000) ISSN: 0190-9622 [Print] United States
• PMID: 10767708 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Anti-Infective Agents, Local
• Antineoplastic Agents
• Clotrimazole

Topics

• Anti-Infective Agents, Local (therapeutic use)
• Antineoplastic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Clotrimazole (therapeutic use)
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Eczema (diagnosis, drug therapy, microbiology)
• Female
• Hand (microbiology, pathology)
• Humans
• Immunocompromised Host
• Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive (complications, drug therapy)
• Middle Aged
• Mycoses (diagnosis, drug therapy, microbiology)
• Trichosporon (isolation & purification)