Triple Fungal Infection—chronic Mucocutaneous Candidiasis, Exophytic Dermatophytosis and Cryptococcal Meningitis: A New and Unusual Combination—

Abstract

The clinical and immunological studies of an unusual case of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMCC) are reported. An 18-year-old male with life-long CMCC was superinfected by a dermatophyte showing exophytic clinical features in his childhood. In addition he has suffered from fatal cryptococcal meningitis since the age of 18. The combination of three fungi, i.e., Candida albicans, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Cryptococcus neoformans, has not been found in an examination of the literature. The author's hypothesis, "immune deviation theory" in the pathogenesis of CMCC, is presented in detail. The possible role of hypovitaminosis A anddisorder of iron metabolism in CMCC and treatment of CMCC are reviewed briefly.