Infection by a Dimorphic Fungus Sporothrix schenckii in an Immunocompromised Patient

Abstract

Infections caused by dimorphic fungi, rarely observed in a temperate climate, may cause chronic infections in immunocompromised patients. We describe a case of sporotrichosis in a 50–year–old woman, who underwent mastectomy due to breast carcinoma, followed by radiation and chemotherapy. She developed skin lesions, localized along the lymphatics. Discharge samples repeatedly yielded a characteristic growth of the dimorphic fungus Sporothrix schenckii. The isolate was resistant to all commonly used antifungal agents, except for itraconazole. Therapy with this antifungal agent resulted in disappearance of the clinical symptoms.