Sporotrichosis

Abstract

Sporotrichosis is a cutaneous fungal infection with a global distribution. The disease has several clinical forms, primarily cutaneous with associated lymphadenopathy. However, dissemination to osteoarticular structures and viscera may occur, both in healthy and immunosuppressed individuals; such disseminated forms usually follow spread after inhalation of fungal spores. Cutaneous infection is usually associated with trauma during the course of outdoor work, and treatment is required for the majority of patients. Potassium iodide (the treatment of choice in endemic areas) is an effective and inexpensive therapy; however, its adverse effects and complicated dosage regimen often weigh against its use in developed countries, where itraconazole is the antimycotic of choice.

Sporothrix schenckii and Sporotrichosis

“…Macroscopically, filamentous colonies in media such as malt extract agar or potato dextrose agar (Fig. 2) are often smooth and wrinkled, white to creamy at first and then turning brown to black after a few days (126,170,196). Some strains, however, have the ability to form dark colonies from the beginning of growth (5).…”

“…The transition from mold to yeast form in S. schenckii can be attained by culturing mycelia or conidia on rich culture media such as brain heart infusion agar at 35 to 37°C (170). Some strains, especially those related to the S. globosa species, may require lower conversion temperatures, since they do not grow well at 37°C (150).…”

Characterization of virulence profile, protein secretion and immunogenicity of differentSporothrix schenckii sensu strictoisolates compared withS. globosaandS. brasiliensisspecies

“…14,15 In Brazil, the incidence of sporotrichosis is on rise over the last two decades and it has been attributed to zoonotic outbreaks in cats. [16][17][18][19] Patients may present several different clinical forms ranging from fixed cutaneous and lymphocutaneous to disseminated form.…”

New Diagnostic Applications in Sporotrichosis

“…In particular, in some manifestations of the disease, such as S. schenckii-induced arthritis, the collection of material for culture is difficult (Morris-Jones, 2002.). Also, sporotrichosis may be mistaken for other infections, such as tuberculosis, leishmaniasis, paracoccidioidomycosis, gummatous syphilis, and chromoblastomycosis (Rippon, 1988;Sharma et al, 2005).…”