title: A case of chromoblastomycosis with an unusual clinical manifestation caused by Phialophora verrucosa on an unexposed area: treatment with a combination of amphotericin B and 5-flucytosine.
abstract: Chromoblastomycosis is a cutaneous and subcutaneous mycotic disease caused by the dematiaceous (black) fungi. Five species of fungi are known generally to be the cause: Fonsecaea pedrosoi, Phialophora verrucosa, Cladosporium carrionii, F. compacta and Rhinocladiella cerphilum. In infected tissue they can appear as pigmented sclerotic bodies, commonly called 'copper pennies', which are pathognomonic of chromoblastomycosis. The infection usually occurs through traumatic skin inoculation, with the majority of lesions occurring on the feet and legs of outdoor workers. We report a patient in whom the lesions had begun on the right breast, which is an unexposed area, without a history of trauma. A uniform, reliable treatment does not exist but our patient was mycologically cured with the use of amphotericin B and the subsequent combination of 5-flucytosine and itraconazole.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 134 Shinchon-Dong, Seodaemoon-Gu, Seoul 120-752, Korea.
authors.forename: S-G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: S-H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: S-B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: K-H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: K-Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D002862:Chromoblastomycosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005437:Flucytosine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D010676:Phialophora
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000666:Amphotericin B; D005437:Flucytosine