Mycoses
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Himachal Pradesh, India is a known endemic area for cutaneous sporotrichosis. No attempt has been made to isolate Sporothrix schenckii, the causative fungus, from environmental sources in this region or in India as such. This prospective study was carried out to isolate Sporothrix schenckii from different environmental samples collected from the vicinity of cutaneous sporotrichosis patients. ⋯ Temperature dimorphism was observed in all the 10 isolates obtained from the clinical specimens and in two isolates cultured from corn-stalk. Corn-stalks are evidently important sources of Sporothrix schenckii infection although subsequent contamination of wounds appears more important for development of clinical disease. Culture of Sporothrix schenckii from environmental sources may not be always possible to correlate with profile of injuries.
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Letter Case Reports
Multiple Scedosporium apiospermum brain abscesses after near-drowning successfully treated with surgery and long-term voriconazole: a case report.
Scedosporium apiospermum is an emerging fungal pathogen, increasingly recognised as a cause of infection not only in immunocompromised, but also in non-immunodeficient patients. We present the case of an immunocompetent 21-year-old Thai man who experienced recurrent ruptured mycotic aneurysms and developed multiple S. apiospermum brain abscesses following aspiration of polluted water. ⋯ Voriconazole penetrated the central nervous system (CNS) well and had limited toxicity, despite prolonged treatment. Voriconazole appears to be the antifungal agent of choice in the treatment of CNS scedosporiosis caused by S. apiospermum.