Cutaneous cryptococcosis due to Cryptococcus gattii in a patient on chronic corticotherapy

• Autor(a) principal: Bellissimo-Rodrigues,Fernando
• Data de Publicação: 2010
• Outros Autores: Baciotti,Maysa, Zanatto,Maria Paula, Silva,Jaqueline Otero, Martins,Marilena dos Anjos, Martinez,Roberto
• Tipo de documento: Relatório
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0037-86822010000200022
• topic: Cutaneous cryptococcosis; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Corticotherapy; Cryptococcus gattii

Cryptococcus gattii causes a form of endemic mycosis that most commonly affects the lungs and central nervous system of immunocompetent patients living in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Case report. A 66-year-old man who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease without HIV infection and had been on systemic corticotherapy for several years developed extensive ulceration of the left forearm that was associated with ipsilateral supraclavicular adenomegaly, consequent to infection with Cryptococcus gattii. The patient was treated with fluconazole 400mg/day for eight months, which led to complete healing of the lesion. This case emphasizes that, although rare, C. gattii may cause opportunistic cutaneous-lymphatic infection in patients living in the southeastern region of Brazil who are immunocompromised through chronic corticotherapy.