Two Cases of Localized Sporotrichosis

Abstract

Two cases of localized cutaneous sporotrichosis are reported. Recently, in Tokyo, the decline of the incidence of this deep fungus infection has been pointed out by the dermatologists. The first case in this report was a very rare one because the ulcerating lesion was localized on the lower back of the 66-year-old man, which was an unusual site for cutaneous sporotrichosis, and because he had suffered from the disease for as long as 6 years. Although histopathological examination failed to reveal the fungus elements, mycological studies including culture and sporotrichin skin test confirmed the diagnosis. The clinical feature of the second case, which was a localized lesion composed of small flat firm papules on the radial side of the left forearm of the 36-year-old housewife, suggested that she was suffering from a kind of granulomatous lesions such as atypical mycobacteiral infection. Histopathologically the spores of sporothrix schenckii were observed in the cytoplasm of the abundant giant cells in the epithelioid cell granulomas with PAS stain. Mycological studies also confirmed the diagnosis. The authors consider that autoinoculation might be the cause of the unusual clinical feature. As for the therapy, potassium iodide was dramatically effective in both cases.