Korean J Dermatol.  2002 Sep;40(9):1116-1120.

A Case of Cutaneous Protothecosis

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Kyongju, Korea. mksuhmd@hanmail.net
  • 2Department of Clinical Pathology, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Kyongju, Korea.
  • 3Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Kyongju, Korea.
  • 4Department of Dermatology, Fatima Hospital, Korea.
  • 5Department of Dermatology, Kyungpook National University, School of Medicine, Taegu, Korea.

Abstract

Protothecosis is an unusual cutaneous soft tissue infection caused by the Prototheca, which is a genus of the unicelluar, achloric algae. We report a case of cutaneous protothecosis in a 66-year-old female, who showed erythematous, purulent patches and plaques with ulcerations on the right forearm for 2 months. Biopsy specimen revealed the characteristic thick-walled morulalike sporangia in the dermis. Prototheca wickerhamii was isolated in the culture and the biochemical study. Electron microscopic examination showed the thick-walled spores containing dark dense bodies and amyloplasts. After two months of oral itraconazole 200mg/day, skin lesions were improved.

Keyword

Cutaneous protothecosis; Prototheca wickerhamii

MeSH Terms

Aged
Biopsy
Dermis
Female
Forearm
Humans
Itraconazole
Plastids
Prototheca
Skin
Soft Tissue Infections
Sporangia
Spores
Ulcer
Itraconazole
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