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Protothecosis following hand injury. A case report
V Sirikulchayanonta1, V Visuthikosol, D Tanphaichitra
1Department of Pathology, Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand.
Journal of Hand Surgery (Edinburgh, Scotland)
|February 1, 1989
Summary
A rare case of protothecosis, a skin infection, occurred after a hand injury from glass. Surgical excision and antibiotics successfully treated the infection, with no recurrence observed over four years.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
Background:
- Protothecosis is a rare opportunistic infection caused by achloric algae (Prototheca species).
- It typically affects the skin and subcutaneous tissues, often following trauma or in immunocompromised individuals.
Observation:
- A case of protothecosis is described in a patient who sustained an accidental cut on the dorsum of the hand.
- The injury was caused by a glass fragment from an exploding beer bottle.
Findings:
- The affected area was treated with wide surgical excision.
- The patient also received oral tetracycline for the infection.
- No recurrence of protothecosis was observed during a four-year follow-up period.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of considering protothecosis in the differential diagnosis of skin infections following trauma.
- Prompt surgical intervention and appropriate antibiotic therapy can lead to successful outcomes.
- Further research into the management of cutaneous protothecosis is warranted.