Fusarium onychomycoses in Switzerland—A mycological and histopathological study

Abstract

Onychomycoses in temperate climates are most commonly due to dermatophytes, particularly Trichophyton rubrum. Non-dermatophyte nail infections are much less frequent, and their diagnosis requires a careful and repeated search for a potential dermatophyte that may have been overgrown in culture. A series of histological slides of suspected onychomycoses with uncommon fungal morphology prompted us to search for non-dermatophytic moulds causing dermatophytosis-like nail infections.Thirty cases were identified by culture as F solani, F oxysporum, F dimerum or F spp, and two more were only diagnosed histopathologically. None of these patients was immunocompromised. Treatment was mostly unsuccessful with terbinafine whereas itraconazole showed a moderately better treatment result; in all cases, a topical ciclopirox nail varnish in a hydroxychitosan base was added. K E Y W O R D S culture, Fusarium species, histopathology, onychomycosis, treatment | 929 RAMMLMAIR et AL.

Superficial mycoses, a matter of concern: Global and Indian scenario‐an updated analysis

“…Over the last decades, it has been observed that an increasing number of non‐dermatophytic fungi, like, Alternaria , Aspergillus , Chaetomium , Curvularia , Fusarium , Penicillium , Scopulariopsis and Trichosporon , have also emerged as causal agents of superficial mycoses in humans, producing almost clinically similar lesions as caused by dermatophytes 2,3 . Although both dermatophytes and non‐dermatophytes have been known to cause superficial mycoses all over the world, their incidence, distribution, prevalence, epidemiology, clinical manifestation and target hosts may vary from region to region 4,5 .…”

“…Although superficial mycotic infections are usually limited to the skin and mucous membranes, these infections are hardly life-threatening but they have importance because of their worldwide distribution, morbidity and transmission from one person/animal to another.Over the last decades, it has been observed that an increasing number of non-dermatophytic fungi, like, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Curvularia, Fusarium, Penicillium, Scopulariopsis and Trichosporon, have also emerged as causal agents of superficial mycoses in humans, producing almost clinically similar lesions as caused by dermatophytes. 2,3 Although both dermatophytes and non-dermatophytes have been known to cause superficial mycoses all over the world, their incidence, distribution, prevalence, epidemiology, clinical manifestation and target hosts may vary from region to region. 4,5 In this review, more emphasis has been provided on information related to skin and hair infections.…”

Molecular and MALDI‐ToF MS differentiation and antifungal susceptibility of prevalent clinical Fusarium species in China

“…1,2 Fusarium species cause a broad spectrum of infections in humans including superficial, cutaneous or disseminated, depending on the portal of entry and the host's immune status. In immunocompetent hosts, onychomycosis 3,4 and keratitis 5 are common, while occasionally clinical presentations such as fungaemia, mycetoma, allergic lung disease, endocarditis, urinary tract infection and osteomyelitis [6][7][8][9] are observed. Disseminated fusariosis is the most severe manifestation that predominantly affects deeply immunocompromised hosts.…”

Häufige Nagelerkrankungen: Diagnostik und Therapie

“…Zu den häufigsten Erregern zählen Dermatophyten (insbesondere Trichophyton (T.) rubrum und T. interdigitale) [10]. Allerdings wurden jüngst auch Fusarien nachgewiesen (Fusarium [neue Bezeichnung: Neocosmospora] solani, Fusarium oxysporum) [11,12]. Der Nachweis von Fusarium aus Nagelmaterial kann für eine NDM (Non-Dermatophyte Mould)-Onychomykose sprechen, jedoch auch Ausdruck eines sekundären Wachstums des Schimmelpilzes auf einem pathologisch veränderten Nagel sein [13].…”