A skin infection mimicking chromoblastomycosis by a Capnodialean fungus

Abstract

Most black fungi that are repeatedly involved in human infection belong to the order Chaetothyriales. Capnodialean melanized fungi often thrive in extreme environments like rock surfaces and hypersaline microhabitats. They are able to grow meristematically with very thick cellular walls, resembling muriform cells of agents of chromoblastomycosis. In this report we describe a member of the order Capnodiales causing a chromoblastomycosis-like infection in human skin. However, in tissue the fungus presented with toruloid hyphae and intercalary, chlamydospore-like conidia with transversal septa, rather than with muriform cells. Judging from ITS rRNA sequences, the fungus is related to, but clearly different from, the genera Catenulostroma and Pseudotaeniolina; members of these genera are environmental and only rarely occur on human hosts.

First record ofNeocatenulostroma germanicumon pines in Lithuania and Ukraine and its co‐occurrence withDothistromaspp. and other pathogens

“…The fungus was first found approximately 20 years ago in Germany on living and necrotic needles of a wide range of conifer hosts (firs, pines and junipers) and was described as Trimmatostroma abietis Butin & Pehl (Butin et al., ). This species has also been isolated from stone and rock surfaces, Ilex and Encephalartos leaves and from chronic chromoblastomycosis‐like human skin infections (Butin et al., ; Campolina et al., ; Crous , Wood et al., ; Ruibal et al., , ; Wollenzien, de Hoog, Krumbein, & Urzì, ). The first molecular sequence analysis of the 5.8S rDNA and the ITS region performed by de Hoog et al.…”

“…The observation of N. germanicum on new substrate (pine needles attached to trees growing in dry and hot places) may be explained by the higher ecological plasticity of most Catenulostroma and Neocatenulostroma fungi, which have physiological and morphological specializations that provide an advantage under oligotrophic, extremely dry and hot environmental conditions (Gorbushina et al., ). These specializations allow them to colonize various new living or inert surfaces, including stones, leaves of various plants, needles of coniferous trees and even damaged animal and human skin (Campolina et al., ; Crous, ; Crous et al., ; Crous, Summerell, et al., ; Crous, Wood, et al., ; Ruibal et al., ; Selbmann et al., ).…”

Chromoblastomycosis

“…There are also poorly documented cases of CBM caused by different dematiaceous fungi. It is a case of a dermal lesion on the palm caused by Chaetomium funicola in a healthy elderly patient in Panama [34], however without definitely recognised muriform cells in the tissue, which could be spores or fragments of hyphae of the fungus [35]. Furthermore, in the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures (CBS) Fungal Biodiversity Centre collection, a strain of Catenulostroma chromoblastomycosum is deposited with the information that it is the case of CBM from Zaire [36] (currently Democratic Republic of the Congo).…”

“…Furthermore, in the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures (CBS) Fungal Biodiversity Centre collection, a strain of Catenulostroma chromoblastomycosum is deposited with the information that it is the case of CBM from Zaire [36] (currently Democratic Republic of the Congo). However, no reliable clinical description exists whether the biopsy was done and whether the characteristic features of CBM were identified [35]. …”

Seasonal variations of the airborne microbial assemblages of the Seoul subway, South Korea from 16S and ITS gene profiles with chemical analysis

“…Candida (8.3%) is a skin inhabited genus and can cause severe skin infections 37 . The unclassified genus of Capnodiales (6.5%) was also identified at New York subway platforms 12 ; Capnoidales can cause Chromoblasomycosis-like infection in the human skin 38 . Nigrospora (2.6%) also was reported to infect the skin in HIV patients 39 .…”