Misleading subcutaneous mycosis: a case report of subsequent clinical mycetoma-like and histological chromoblastomycosis-like lesions

Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo. 2024 Jun 7:66:e34. doi: 10.1590/S1678-9946202466034. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Hyalohyphomycosis and phaeohyphomycosis are groups of mycoses caused by several agents and show different clinical manifestations. We report a case of an immunocompromised patient who presented rare manifestations of opportunistic mycoses: mycetoma-like hyalohyphomycosis on his right foot caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, followed by cutaneous phaeohyphomycosis on his right forearm caused by Exophiala oligosperma. Further to the rarity of this case, the patient's lesion on the foot shows that the clinical aspects of mycetomas could falsely appear in other fungal infections similar to hyalohyphomycosis. We also show that the muriform cells that were seen in the direct and anatomopathological examination of the skin are not pathognomonic of chromoblastomycosis, as observed in the lesion of the patient's forearm.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Chromoblastomycosis* / diagnosis
  • Chromoblastomycosis* / drug therapy
  • Chromoblastomycosis* / microbiology
  • Chromoblastomycosis* / pathology
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Exophiala / isolation & purification
  • Humans
  • Hyalohyphomycosis / diagnosis
  • Hyalohyphomycosis / microbiology
  • Hyalohyphomycosis / pathology
  • Immunocompromised Host
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mycetoma* / diagnosis
  • Mycetoma* / drug therapy
  • Mycetoma* / microbiology
  • Mycetoma* / pathology