Mucor ramosissimus Samutsevitsch isolated from a thigh lesion.
Mucor ramosissimus Samutsevitsch is presented for the first time as an etiologic agent of cutaneous zygomycosis in a patient with aplastic anemia on immunosuppressive therapy. This report also represents the third case caused by this species reported in the literature. A biopsy taken from a lesion on the patient's thigh revealed broad, nonseptate, nonbranching hyphae compatible in morphology with a Zygomycete; M. ramosissimus was cultured twice from the thigh lesion. The patient was treated successfully with amphotericin B. Identifying features of M. ramosissimus include the following: numerous sporangia lacking columellae and resembling those of Mortierella spp., short, erect sporangiophores repeatedly branching sympodially; tough, persistent, and diffluent sporangial walls; numerous oidia in chains; extremely low colonies; and restricted growth at 36 degrees C. This paper describes the isolate and strives to alert the clinical microbiologist to this rarely reported pathogen.
Weitzman
I
I
Clinical Microbiology Service, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, New York.
Della-Latta
P
P
Housey
G
G
Rebatta
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000150:complications; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009089:Mucor / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009091:Mucormycosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D013848:Thigh / Q000382:microbiology*
D000666:Amphotericin B