[Mycetoma and premycetomatous lesions in Uruguay]

Five cases of mycetomas and 5 "premycetomatous' lesions have been recorded in Uruguay. Two mycetomas were produced by fungi and three by nocardias. The casual fungi were identified as Scedosporium apoispermum in one case and Rubromadurella langeroni in the other. Nocardia asteroides was isolated from 2 cases and no cultures were obtained from the remaining one. Three mycetomas were diagnosed in an early stage of development and easy cures were obtained through medical or surgical procedures. In the other two cases the diagnosis was made in a late stage and the final result was amputation. A new clinical form of mycetoma called "lymphangitic' is proposed after describing a patient with mycetoma of the forearm and arm by S. apiospermum. Premycetomatous lesions included 3 cases of lymphangitic nocardiasis of the arm by N. brasiliensis, an abscess of the shoulder by the same species and an arthritis of the ankle by N. asteroides. All were cured after short periods of therapy. The usual early diagnosis of mycetomas and related diseases un Uruguay is considered to be the result of a prompt medical consultation due mainly to the abscence of important geographical obstacles in the Country.