Pyogranulomatous dermatitis associated with Sporobolomyces roseus in a dog

Sporobolomyces spp. is a yeast-like fungal organism commonly found in the environment. It has been sporadically reported in human medicine as a potential cause of dermatitis, lymphadenitis, meningitis, and endophthalmitis. In veterinary medicine, this fungus has only been described once in a dog affected with granulomatous meningoencephalitis.

A 3-year-old Jagd Terrier was presented with crusted, erosive and ulcerative skin lesions primarily affecting the nose, but also the limbs and tail. A pyogranulomatous dermatitis was identified on skin histopathological sections. Pan-fungal conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) performed on skin biopsies yielded a positive result. Subsequent sequencing of the PCR product identified Sporobolomyces roseus with 99.27% sequence identity. Anti-fungal treatment with a combination of voriconazole and terbinafine for two months led to an almost complete resolution of the lesions. For financial reasons, antifungal therapy was discontinued prematurely, leading to a relapse of dermatological lesions. Other anti-fungal treatments were attempted without clinical improvement leading to subsequent euthanasia of the dog.

This case report described dermatological lesions associated with Sporobolomyces roseus in a dog and the challenges associated with anti-fungal treatment.