Abstract
We report a case of sporotrichosis caused by a lesion due to a rat bite. A 78-year-old woman had been bitten on her finger by a rat. Two months later, granulomatous skin lesions developed along her arm. Oral antibiotics and topical antimycotics were ineffective. Biopsy from a nodule on the wrist was performed, and histopathological analysis revealed granuloma formation with the presence of giant cells. Pus culture from the erosive nodule was performed by inoculation on Mycosel agar and incubation at room temperature. The culture showed round, white colonies resembling Candida species. However, giant culture and slide culture confirmed the presence of Sporothrix schenckii. The patient was successfully treated with oral potassium iodide for 7 months. Sporotrichosis due to a rat bite is rare. However, sporotrichosis is being recognized as a zoonotic disease, as some cases of sporotrichosis caused by animals (for e.g., cat, dog, horse, and cow) have been reported recently. We should consider sporotrichosis as a differential diagnosis while examining antibiotic-resistant lesions due to animal bites or scratches.
