Successful Thermotherapy for a Subcutaneous Infection Due to Alternaria alternata in a Renal Transplant Recipient

Torres-Rodríguez, Josep M.; González, Meritxell Pérez; Corominas, Josep M.

doi:10.1001/archderm.141.9.1171-b

Cited by 19 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…It was of interest to see that successful thermotherapy was reported for subcutaneous infections due to Alternaria alternata 26 , for chromomycosis 27 and sporotrichosis 28 . The growth of pathogenic Sporothrix schenkii was suppressed at 42 C. In clinical trials, local hyperthemia between 40 C and 45 C was maintained.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combined Effect of Heat, Essential Oils and Salt on the Fungicidal Activity against Trichophyton mentagrophytes in Foot Bath

Inouye

Uchida²,

Nishiyama

et al. 2007

Nippon Ishinkin Gakkai Zasshi

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This work was originally undertaken to determine the effective conditions of essential oils against Trichophyton mentagrophytes in vitro for the treatment of tinea pedis in a foot bath. Agar blocks implanted with T. mentagrophytes were immersed in 0.1% aqueous agar containing two-fold dilutions of essential oils with or without sodium chloride at 27 C, 37 C and 42 C for 10 and 20 min. The number of surviving mycelia on the agar blocks was determined from the standard curves of the colony diameter and original inocula of the conidia. At the same time, the thermal effect on the cellular morphology was examined using SEM. Most fungal mycelia 99.7% were killed after treatment at 42 C for 20 min without essential oil. The fungicidal activity of essential oils was markedly enhanced by treating at 42 C for 20 min as compared with that at 27 C, showing 1/4 1/32-fold reduction of minimum fungicidal concentration MFC to kill 99.99% . The order of the fungicidal activity of 11 essential oils was oregano, thyme thymol, cinnamon bark lemongrass clove, palmarose, peppermint, lavender geranium Bourbon, tea tree thyme geraniol oils. MFCs were further reduced to 1/2 1/8 by the addition of 10% sodium chloride. The salt effect was explained, at least partly, by an increase in mycelial adsorption of antifungal constituents in the presence of sodium chloride. Considerable hyphal damage was done at 27 C by the essential oils, but no further alteration in morphology of the hyphae treated at 42 C with or without oil was observed by SEM. The inhibitory effect of heat and oils was also observed against mycelia of T. rubrum and conidia of T. mentagrophytes. Thermotherapy combined with essential oils and salt would be promising to treat tinea pedis in a foot bath.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combined Effect of Heat, Essential Oils and Salt on the Fungicidal Activity against Trichophyton mentagrophytes in Foot Bath

Inouye

Uchida²,

Nishiyama

et al. 2007

Nippon Ishinkin Gakkai Zasshi

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“…Alternaria spp. are by far the most common etiologic agent, with a recent review cataloguing over 156 cases up to 2007 (195,191,275,373,542,577,710,751). Exophiala spp.…”

Section: Phaeohyphomycosismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many patients are immunocompetent, and they often are from a rural background, i.e., farmers with frequent, minor trauma from plant material or gardeners (133,192,206,233,277,359,576,751,815). Organ transplantation is also a common risk factor (28,38,112,142,235,236,262,271,286,296,465,484,514,556,587,645,679,704,725).…”

Section: Phaeohyphomycosismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For multiple lesions where resection may be difficult, antifungal therapy alone has also been successful, even in immunocompromised patients (251,514). A variety of alternative therapies have been successfully employed as well, including cryotherapy, thermotherapy (local heat application), and supersaturated potassium iodide (SSKI) (286,313,751). These are particularly relevant in developing countries where systemic antifungal therapy is difficult to obtain or too expensive for patients.…”

Section: Phaeohyphomycosismentioning

confidence: 99%

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Melanized Fungi in Human Disease

2010

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SUMMARY Melanized or dematiaceous fungi are associated with a wide variety of infectious syndromes. Many are soil organisms and are generally distributed worldwide, though certain species appear to have restricted geographic ranges. Though they are uncommon causes of disease, melanized fungi have been increasingly recognized as important pathogens, with most reports occurring in the past 20 years. The spectrum of diseases with which they are associated has also broadened and includes allergic disease, superficial and deep local infections, pneumonia, brain abscess, and disseminated infection. For some infections in immunocompetent individuals, such as allergic fungal sinusitis and brain abscess, they are among the most common etiologic fungi. Melanin is a likely virulence factor for these fungi. Diagnosis relies on careful microscopic and pathological examination, as well as clinical assessment of the patient, as these fungi are often considered contaminants. Therapy varies depending upon the clinical syndrome. Local infection may be cured with excision alone, while systemic disease is often refractory to therapy. Triazoles such as voriconazole, posaconazole, and itraconazole have the most consistent in vitro activity. Further studies are needed to better understand the pathogenesis and optimal treatment of these uncommon infections.

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“…In one such renal transplant patient with subcutaneous alternariosis, application of a small electric pad at 458C to 508C for 1 hour daily for 1 year resulted in clinical and mycologic clearance. 128 Cryotherapy. In a cardiac transplant patient with numerous cutaneous alternariosis lesions who did not tolerate systemic antifungals, a combination of cryotherapy to nodular lesions and curettage with cautery for thicker lesions resulted in lesional clearance after two visits without relapse at 8 months of follow-up.…”

Section: Opportunistic Mycosesmentioning

confidence: 99%