Successful treatment of chromoblastomycosis using ALA-PDT in a patient with leukopenia

Chromoblastomycosis is a long-term fungal infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, usually presenting as partial hypertrophic and warty plaques. Effective treatment is necessary to control the development of lesions, especially in patients with associated diseases. But till now, the treatment is still a challenge. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an efficient and non-invasive treatment option. Here, we reported the case of a 52-year-old male with refractory chromoblastomycosis and leukopenia, who was successfully treated with 5-aminolevulinic acid-based PDT (ALA-PDT). A complete cure, confirmed by clinical improvement and mycological detection, was achieved after six sessions of every-other-week treatment. Post six months follow up no recurrence was observed. The case here suggests that ALA-PDT is a valuable anti-infective therapy for refractory chromoblastomycosis.