Cutaneous Mucormycosis Associated with Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia

Abstract

We report the first case of cutaneous mucormycosis caused by Rhizopus microsporus var. rhizopodiformis in Japan. A 56-year-old woman affected with acute myeloblastic leukemia noted a small black papular lesion on her left forearm under the adhesive bandage. The ulcer rapidly enlarged to more than 5cm in diameter by the 5th day thereafter. Histological sections of the skin lesion showed numerous non-septated hyphae spreading throughout the dermis and invading the walls of blood vessels. R. microsporus var. rhizopodiformis was isolated form the skin lesion. The patient died on the 17th day after that on which the initial skin lesion was noted.