A case of Exophiala spinifera infection in Southern Brazil: Molecular identification and antifungal susceptibility

Tatiane Caroline Daboit; Rodrigo Pereira Duquia; Cibele Massotti Magagnin; Sandra Denise Camargo Mendes; Mauricio Ramírez Castrillón; Raquel Steglich; Inajara Silveira Dos Santos; Gerson Vettorato; Patrícia Valente; Maria Lúcia Scroferneker

doi:10.1016/j.mmcr.2012.08.006

A case of Exophiala spinifera infection in Southern Brazil: Molecular identification and antifungal susceptibility

Med Mycol Case Rep. 2012 Sep 7;1(1):72-5. doi: 10.1016/j.mmcr.2012.08.006. eCollection 2012.

Affiliations

¹ Graduate Program in Medicine: Medical Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2400 - 2 floor, Porto Alegre, CEP: 90035-003, Brazil ; Department of Microbiology, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, Sala 210, Porto Alegre, CEP: 90050-170, Brazil.
² Dermatology Service, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Porto Alegre Hospital Complex. Rua Prof. Annes Dias, 285, Porto Alegre, CEP: 90020-090, Brazil.
³ Department of Microbiology, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Rua Sarmento Leite, 500, Sala 210, Porto Alegre, CEP: 90050-170, Brazil.

Abstract

We report a case of an 80-year-old Brazilian man, farmer, with lesions on the dorsum of the hand. A direct mycological examination, cultivation and microculture slide observation was performed. The sequencing of ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2 region was carried out and the etiological agent confirmed as Exophiala spinifera. The in vitro susceptibility of this isolate to antifungal agents alone and in combination was evaluated. This is the third case of phaeohyphomycosis caused by Exophiala spinifera in Brazil.

Keywords: Checkerboard technique; Exophila spinifera; ITS rDNA; In vitro antifungal susceptibility; Phaeohyphomycosis.