title: Chromoblastomycosis.
abstract: Chromoblastomycosis (CBM), also known as chromomycosis, is one of the most prevalent implantation fungal infections, being the most common of the gamut of mycoses caused by melanized or brown-pigmented fungi. CBM is mainly a tropical or subtropical disease that may affect individuals with certain risk factors around the world. The following characteristics are associated with this disease: (i) traumatic inoculation by implantation from an environmental source, leading to an initial cutaneous lesion at the inoculation site; (ii) chronic and progressive cutaneous and subcutaneous tissular involvement associated with fibrotic and granulomatous reactions associated with microabscesses and often with tissue proliferation; (iii) a nonprotective T helper type 2 (Th2) immune response with ineffective humoral involvement; and (iv) the presence of muriform (sclerotic) cells embedded in the affected tissue. CBM lesions are clinically polymorphic and are commonly misdiagnosed as various other infectious and noninfectious diseases. In its more severe clinical forms, CBM may cause an incapacity for labor due to fibrotic sequelae and also due to a series of clinical complications, and if not recognized at an early stage, this disease can be refractory to antifungal therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Hospital de Clínicas, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil queiroz.telles@uol.com.br.
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7034-2418
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Queiroz-Telles
authors.affiliation: CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sybren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Hoog
authors.affiliation: Special Mycology Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel Wagner C L
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Dermato-Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Marituba, Pará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Claudio Guedes
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Salgado
authors.affiliation: Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Graduation Program, Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vania Aparecida
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Service and Mycology Department, Hospital General de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Alexandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bonifaz
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, 3rd Department of Pediatrics, Aristotle University School of Health Sciences and Hippokration General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roilides
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Liyan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Federal University of Maranhão, Vila Bacanga, Maranhão, Brazil.
authors.forename: Conceição de Maria Pedrozo E Silva
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.affiliation: Dermato-Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Biological Sciences, Pará Federal University, Marituba, Pará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Moises Batista
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, 3rd Department of Pediatrics, Aristotle University School of Health Sciences and Hippokration General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Zoe Dorothea
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Pana
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Paulista Medical School, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Arnaldo Lopes
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine of Cornell University, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002862:Chromoblastomycosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D019468:Disease Management; D026141:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Fungal; D005093:Exophiala / Q000145:classification*; D006801:Humans; D058069:Neglected Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents
keywords: black fungi; chromoblastomycosis; chromomycosis; melanized fungi; muriform (sclerotic) cells; neglected disease