Dermatological manifestations of fungal infection in patients with febrile neutropaenia: A review of the literature

Abstract

Summary Febrile neutropaenia (FNP) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Although most infections are caused by bacterial pathogens, fungal infections are becoming increasingly more common. Due to its rarity, the diagnosis of fungal infections in febrile neutropenic patients is often delayed. To provide current clinical features, epidemiology, aetiology, diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous involvement of fungal infection in patients with FNP. A retrospective literature review of PubMed was performed, with no language or publishing data restrictions, yielding 116 results. We queried each case for cutaneous lesions associated with fungal pathogens in FNP. We found 54 publications with 215 reported cases of cutaneous manifestations of fungal injury in patients with FNP. This study is limited in that it is a literature review of a disease that is likely underreported. Cutaneous lesions caused by yeasts such as Candida and Trichosporon manifest as diffuse erythematous papules and usually do not develop central necrosis or eschar, while moulds will present as tender nodules that subsequently develop eschar and necrosis. Recognising the cutaneous manifestations of fungal disease can assist in the diagnosis and management of these infections.

Antimicrobial activities of Asian ginseng, American ginseng, and notoginseng

“…Fungi are very common in our environment. Infectious fungal can cause many different types of illnesses, including: asthma or allergies, infections or rashes on the nails and skin, lung infections (pneumonia) with symptoms similar to the flu or tuberculosis, bloodstream infections, and meningitis (Maddy, Sanchez, Shukla, & Maderal, ; Naporowski, Witkowska, Lewandowicz‐Uszynska, & Gamian, ). For people with weak immune systems, fungal infections are one of their serious health threats (Perfect, ).…”

Fusariosis in haematological malignancy – the skin is the clue… Experiences from the National Cancer Institute of Sri Lanka: a case report

“…Although candidiasis and aspergillosis are by far the commonest aetiologies, other fungi are also capable of causing life-threatening infections with a variety of dermatological manifestations. 2 The portal of entry for Fusarium species can be through breaches in the skin, indwelling catheters, the sinopulmonary route or the gastrointestinal tract. 3 Unlike other opportunistic fungal infections, fusariosis causes frequent dermatological involvement.…”

A global view on fungal infections in humans and animals: opportunistic infections and microsporidioses

“…The disease may manifest as skin lesions, including papules, nodules, ulcers, cutaneous necrosis, bullae, zosteriform lesions, and indurated erythema with edema (Maddy et al, 2019). The systemic manifestations include chest pain, cough, hemoptysis, and dyspnea (Hosseini et al, 2020).…”

“…In humans, aspergillosis typically affects neutropenic individuals, such as those with acute leukaemia or recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT), and is associated with high mortality (Greub and Bille 1998;Latg e, 1999;Segal 2009). The disease may manifest as skin lesions, including papules, nodules, ulcers, cutaneous necrosis, bullae, zosteriform lesions, and indurated erythema with oedema (Maddy et al 2019). The systemic manifestations include chest pain, cough, hemoptysis, and dyspnea (Hosseini et al 2020).…”