Clinical Study of 45 Cases of Sporotrichosis and Positive Rate According to Mycologic Method

Chon, Taek Hwan; Yun, Seok Kweon; Kim, Han Uk

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Sporotrichosis is a chronic, deep cutaneous fungal infection characterized by nodular lesions of the cutaneous and subcutaneous tissues with involvement of the adjacent lymphatics. The infection is usually acquired by the traumatic implantation of the dimorphic fungus Sporothrix schenckii onto the skin. The incidence and cilnical features, treatment methods of sporotrichosis have been changed with time.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to describe the changes of the clinical features, diagnostic and treatment methods in sporotrichosis.
METHODS
The observation of 45 patients with sporotrichosis who had visited the Department of Dermatology, Chonbuk National University Hospital for 18 years. All samples of formalin-fixed, paraffin- embedded skin tissue were stained with anti-BCG immunohistochemical stain and PAS stain.
RESULTS
Forty-five cases of sporotrichosis were included. In the eighties, the first half (1982~1990), there were 28 cases (62%) of sporotrichosis, and there were 17 cases (38%) in the nineties, the second half (1991~1999). The age was varied from 4 to 82 years averaging 46 years and the sites of predilection were upper extremities (56%) and then the face (33%). The 64% of the total cases was lymphocutaneous type, and the rest was fixed cutaneous type. In the first half of the period the 32% was fixed cutaneous type, and in the second half of the period the 41% was fixed cutaneous type. The 42% of total cases was positive with PAS stain, and the 62% was positive with anti-BCG stain. In the treatment of sporotrichosis, potassium iodide (KI) was the choice of treatment in the first half of the period, however itraconazole is gradually used in the second half of the period.
CONCLUSION
According to this study, some changes in clinical findings and treatment methods of sporotrichosis were noted. Anti-BCG stain can be the useful screening method.