Korean J Med Mycol.  2015 Mar;20(1):19-25. 10.17966/KJMM.2015.20.1.19.

A Case of Primary Cutaneous Cryptococcosis Arising on the Abdomen and Review of the Literature

• Park J
• Cho YS
• Kim DW
• Woo SH
• Yun SK
• Kim HU

• KMID: 2080385
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.17966/KJMM.2015.20.1.19

Abstract

Primary cutaneous cryptococcosis is isolated cutaneous cryptococcosis without evidence of systemic involvement. It usually presents as a solitary nodule in an exposed area, such as head and neck or extremities, and the occurrence of primary cutaneous cryptococcosis in the covered area has been rarely reported in the literature. A healthy 81-year-old immunocompetent woman presented with a solitary reddish scaly plaque on her abdomen without clinical evidence of systemic cryptococcal infection. Histopathologic examination showed numerous encapsulated spores, and the organism was identified as Cryptococcus neoformans in a series of fungal studies. We diagnosed this case as a primary cutaneous cryptococcosis by the findings mentioned above. The patient was successfully treated with surgical excision and oral fluconazole without any side effects.

Keyword

Primary cutaneous cryptococcosis; Surgical excision; Unexposed area

MeSH Terms

Abdomen*
Aged, 80 and over
Cryptococcosis*
Cryptococcus neoformans
Extremities
Female
Fluconazole
Head
Humans
Neck
Spores
Fluconazole