Rare mycoses from Taiwan

Abstract

Under the protection by well developed medicare, the average span of life prolonged, many disease such as diabetes, autoimmune diseases etc. are controlled skillfully and the population of immunodeficient person increased. However, the incidence of infectious diseases including mycoses did not decrease and the iatrogenic infection appeared. Here, nine cases of rare fungal infection during recent three years from Taiwan will be presented, namely penicilliosis marneffei; cutaneous protothecosis; phaeohyphomycosis due to Exophiala jeanselmei (2 cases) and Alternaria sp.; congenital cutaneous candidiasis; cutaneous fusariosis; cutaneous aspergillosis; and pemphigus foliaceus with cryptococcemia. The past history, present illness, loboratory data, histopathological finding, result of mycological study, treatment, clinical course and possible immunological background will be explained. Among these cases, penicilliosis and protothecosis are interesting mycologically, and the infection caused by Penicillium marneffei is very rare especially. The patients infected by this dimorphic fungus were less than 30 cases so far, and were reported from Southeast Asia principally. © 1990, The Japanese Society for Medical Mycology. All rights reserved.