CHROMOBLASTOMYCOSIS MASQUERADING AS DERMATOPHYTOSIS, WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF A NEW OPPORTUNISTIC SPECIES

An unusual case of chromoblastomycosis is reported, it resembled dermatophytosis, tinea faciei due to the presence of a well-demarcated scaly ery- thematous patch on the face. The patient was a 63-year-old farmer from central Thailand, who had the skin lesion for 10 years. Mycological and histopathologi- cal investigations of scales and skin biopsy specimen revealed a granulomatous infiltrate with sclerotic bodies, the hallmark of chromoblastomycosis. The infec- tion showed only localized superficial expansion with a scaly patch suggesting a new clinical type of the disease. The causative organism was identified by DNA sequencing as Rhinocladiella phaeophora. R.phaeophora originally was a saprophytic dematiaceous fungus recovered from maize field soil from Colombia. The case was unusual in its clinical presentation and this is the first case of chromoblastomycosis reported to be caused by a new opportunistic species of the genus Rhinocladiella. The disease was not responsive to itraconazole, but was later treated successfully with terbinafine.