Varicella-like cutaneous toxoplasmosis in a patient with aplastic anemia

J Clin Microbiol. 2013 Apr;51(4):1341-4. doi: 10.1128/JCM.02851-12. Epub 2013 Feb 6.

Abstract

A 60-year-old patient with aplastic anemia presented with vesicular varicella-like skin lesions on her face, arms, legs, back, and abdomen. However, diagnosis for herpetic infection was negative. Findings of a skin biopsy led to a tentative histologic diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, and infection with Toxoplasma gondii was confirmed by immunohistochemistry and PCR. Cutaneous toxoplasmosis is a rare finding in immunocompromised patients and might mimic other infectious diseases, and vesicular lesions associated with toxoplasmosis have not been reported previously.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Anemia, Aplastic / complications*
  • Biopsy
  • Chickenpox / diagnosis*
  • Chickenpox / pathology*
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Middle Aged
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Skin / parasitology
  • Skin / pathology
  • Toxoplasma / isolation & purification*
  • Toxoplasmosis / diagnosis*
  • Toxoplasmosis / pathology*