Following the Track to an Unexpected Diagnosis: Phaeohyphomycosis

Phaeohyphomycosis due to Pleurostomophora richardsiae in a Patient with a Hematological Malignancy

“…Almost of all were treated by surgical excision with or without antifungal therapy, and the only one case was recurred irrespective of surgical excision and topical injection of amphotericin B. The typical manifestation of P. richardsiae infection is believed to be a well-circumscribed subcutaneous cyst filled with pus [ 3 ], but scaly nodulous lesions have also been reported, similar to our present case [ 2 ]. A precise diagnosis of suspected dematiaceous fungal infections is crucial, though not always easily achieved in a clinical laboratory.…”

“…Phaeohyphomycosis is caused by dematiaceous fungi, such as Exophiala , Cladosporium , Phialophora , and Wangiella , which are found in soil, trees, and decaying vegetation [ 1 ]. The dematiaceous fungus Pleurostomophora richardsiae (previously known as Phialophora richardsiae ) has rarely been implicated in human disease, and fewer than 30 human cases have been reported to date in the global literature written in English [ 2–9 ]. Herein, we present a rare case of cutaneous infection caused by P. richardsiae in a patient with a hematological malignancy.…”