title: Human cutaneous protothecosis: report of a case and literature review.
abstract: The Prototheca species is achlorophyllic algae and rarely causes human infection. Human protothecosis presents clinically as a cutaneous infection, olecranon bursitis, and disseminated systemic disease. We report a case of human cutaneous protothecosis involving the left wrist. A 68-year-old man presented with an ill-defined erythematous lesion with crust at the dorsal aspect of his left wrist. A punch biopsy was performed to reveal the histologic features of granulomatous inflammation with necrosis at the upper dermis, containing Prototheca organisms, of which, the characteristic features were highlighted by special staining. Through a molecular study, the Prototheca zopfii species was identified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Seok
authors.affiliation: Kwandong University College of Medicine, Gangneung, Korea.
authors.forename: Yoonho
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kwandong University College of Medicine, Gangneung, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyukmin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Kwandong University College of Medicine, Gangneung, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Yeop
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Kwandong University College of Medicine, Gangneung, Korea.
authors.forename: Hwa Eun
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Kwandong University College of Medicine, Gangneung, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Sun
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Song
keywords: Cutaneous protothecosis; Prototheca; Prototheca zopfii