Fatal sporotrichosis

Disseminated sporotrichosis is a serious fungal infection caused by the soil inhabitant Sporothrix schenckii. It is seen in immunocompromised patients, with a substantial number of recent cases involving patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). However, individuals with other conditions that affect the immune system also are at increased risk. We report a case of fatal disseminated sporotrichosis in a patient with liver disease and a diagnosis of a granulomatous condition presumed to be sarcoidosis; the patient was receiving systemic corticosteroid therapy. The various presentations of S schenckii infection, the risk of disseminated disease in immunocompromised hosts, and the importance of making accurate histologic diagnoses are reviewed.