title: Infant sporotrichosis in northeast China: a report of 15 cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sporotrichosis is a deep mycosis caused by Sporothrix schenckii. It is not uncommon in adults and children but is very rare in infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collated a series of case reports. Clinical data and laboratory and therapeutic results in 15 infants with cutaneous sporotrichosis were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 15 cases of sporotrichosis in infants aged <10 months (mean age: 5.2 months; 10 male, five female) were diagnosed at the Department of Dermatology and Venereology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China, between May 2007 and May 2009. The mean duration of the disease was 2.07 months (range: 1-4 months). All the patients had facial involvement. Fixed cutaneous and lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis were seen in 11 (73.3%) and four (26.7%) patients, respectively. All patients lived in rural areas and had not experienced prior trauma or had contact with soil, plants, animals, or other sporotrichosis patients. Sporothrix schenckii was isolated in all cases, and pathological findings showed suppurative granuloma, tuberculoid granuloma, or mixed inflammatory reaction. One of the 15 patients achieved a spontaneous resolution after biopsy. Fourteen were treated with oral agents, including potassium iodide (KI) alone in two cases, itraconazole alone in three cases, terbinafine alone in four cases, and a combination of KI and terbinafine in five cases. Twelve cases were followed for 4-24 months and were cured with a mean of 2.96 months of treatment (range: 2-4 months) without adverse effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infant sporotrichosis usually presents as a solitary lesion on the face. This is the largest series of infant sporotrichosis to be reported in the literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Shu-Xia
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Ya-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Yuan-Yuan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shan-Shan
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005145:Face / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006099:Granuloma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017964:Itraconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011193:Potassium Iodide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013175:Sporothrix / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013174:Sporotrichosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D000077291:Terbinafine; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D009281:Naphthalenes; D011193:Potassium Iodide; D017964:Itraconazole; D000077291:Terbinafine