congeneric with any of the thermotolerant species. Therefore, this group had to be renamed with the oldest available genus name, Lichtheimia, [5] typified by Lichtheimia corymbifera. According to Hoffman et al, [5] the genus Lichtheimia contained four species: Lichtheimia corymbifera (syn. Absidia corymbifera, Mycocladus corymbifer), Lichtheimia ramosa (syn. Absidia ramosa, Mycocladus ramosus), Lichtheimia blakesleeana (syn. Absidia blakesleeana, Mycocladus blakesleeanus) and Lichtheimia hyalospora (syn. Absidia hyalospora, Mycocladus hyalosporus). Of these, only L. corymbifera and L. ramosa have been reported from human infections. Others include Mucor, Apophysomyces and Saksenaea species. [3] These fungi are ubiquitous saprophytes found in soil, manure plants and decayed foods and can be pathogenic in immunocompromised patients. [6] Absidia spp. are filamentous fungi that are cosmopolitan and like other members of the class Zygomycetes, they are common aBstract A case of otomycosis caused by Lichtheimia corymbifera from an immunocompetent patient with no known predisposing factor is reported. A 55-year-old, otherwise healthy male was presented to us with history of left-sided earache and yellowish-white ear discharge since 10 days. Ear discharge and bits of necrotic tissue were collected from ear through otoscope and processed. Direct wet mount by potassium hydroxide (10% KOH) was performed which showed broad, aseptate and branched hyphae suggestive of zygomycosis. On culture after 48 hours, cottony, wooly and fluffy growth was observed. Culture was subjected to Lactophenol Cotton Blue (LCB) mount which confirmed the presence of L. corymbifera. The patient responded well to suction clearance and debridement followed by drug therapy with amphotericin B.
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), though widely prevalent in India, is not seen in the Rajasthan where the dry, hot and arid climatic conditions create a hostile environment for the growth of the parasite or its vector, the sandfly. We present a case of VL in a patient co-infected with HIV from this region. A 34-year-old known case of a HIV-positive patient presented to the skin department of our hospital with multiple, nontender, erythematous, papulonodular lesions all over the body for 6 months with history of weight loss and low-grade fever. Important examination findings were pallor, inguinal lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly. Laboratory findings included anemia, leucopenia, hypergammaglobulinemia and altered leucocytes to erythrocyte ratio. Buffy coat examination and bone marrow aspirates showed the presence of leishman bodies inside monocytes and macrophages respectively as well as extracellularly also. The patient was treated with amphotericin B intravenously and responded well to the treatment.
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