title: Cutaneous protothecosis in a patient with previously undiagnosed HIV infection.
abstract: Protothecosis is an uncommon condition resulting from infection by achlorophyllous algae of the Prototheca species. Immunocompromised individuals are generally most susceptible to protothecal infection and tend to develop severe and disseminated disease. However, the association between protothecosis and HIV-induced immunosuppression is not clear, with only a handful of cases having been described to date. Here we report a case of cutaneous protothecosis in a Chinese man with previously undiagnosed HIV infection that responded well to oral itraconazole.
authors.affiliation: St John's Institute of Dermatology, King's College London, (Guy's Campus), London, UK.
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.affiliation: National Skin Centre, Singapore.
authors.forename: Shang-Ian
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Tee
authors.affiliation: National Skin Centre, Singapore.
authors.forename: Madeline S L
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: National Skin Centre, Singapore.
authors.forename: Jiun Yit
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D005148:Facial Dermatoses / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007239:Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011525:Prototheca; D012874:Skin Diseases, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy
keywords: HIV; immunosuppression; prototheca; protothecosis