Cutaneous cryptococccosis due to Cryptococcus gattii in immunocompetent hosts: case report and review.
Cutaneous cryptococcosis caused by C. gattii, in immunocompent patients is a rare manifestation of disease, and may be one of the first manifestations of disseminated cryptococcosis. We report a case of disseminated cryptococcosis caused by Cryptococcus gattii presenting as cutaneous lesions in an immunocompetent patient. Previously to our report, only five cases of cutaneous involvement by Cryptococcus gattii in immunocompetent patients have been reported in the literature. Risk factors for C. gattii infection included exposure to the eucalypt reservoirs in tropical and subtropical areas. Skin involvement corresponded to the disseminated form of cryptococcosis in the majority of patients, and commonly affected the face and neck with different morphologies including papules, pustules, plaques, ulcers, subcutaneous masses, cellulitis or acneiform lesions. Due to the severity of this infection and the life threatening condition that it represents, clinicians must be aware that cutaneous involvement may be one of the first manifestations of disseminated cryptococcosis caused by C. gattii especially in patients living and coming from endemic areas.
Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
José Miguel
JM
Dora
Silvia
S
Kelbert
Caroline
C
Deutschendorf
Vanessa S
VS
Cunha
Valério R
VR
Aquino
Rodrigo Pires Dos
RP
Santos
Luciano Zubaran
LZ
Goldani
D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D003454:Cryptococcus / Q000254:growth & development*; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000935:Antifungal Agents