Phaeohyphomycosis caused by Exophiala jeanselmei in a domestic cat

Abstract

Extract

The term phaeohyphomycosis is applied to granulomatous nodules and abscesses usually single, usually involving only skin and subcutis and caused by species of soil and wood-dwelling fungi which produce dark (dematiaceous) hyphae and spores. In a recent publication, Ajello listed 71 species of dematiaceous fungi from 39 genera which have been found to cause phaeohyphomycosis in humans and in lower animals ⁽¹⁾ Ajello, L. 1986. Hyalohyphomycosis and phaeohyphomycosis: two global disease entities of public health importance. European Journal of Epidemiology, 2: 243–251.  [Google Scholar]. There have been two published reports of feline phaeohyphomycosis in which the fungus Exophiala jeanselmei has been isolated ⁽²⁾ Bostock, DE, Coloe, PJ and Castellani, A. 1982. Phaeohyphomycosis caused by Exophiala jeanselmei in a domestic cat. Journal of Comparative Patholoev, 92: 479–482.  [Google Scholar] ⁽³⁾ Pukay, BP and Dion, WM. 1984. Feline phaeohyphomycosis: treatment with ketoconazole and 5-fluorocytosine. Canadian Veterinary Journal, 25: 130–134.  [Google Scholar], and in Australia the closely related E. spinifera has been isolated from a further two cases ⁽⁴⁾ Kettlewell, P, McGinnis, MR and Wilkinson, GT. 1989. Phaeohyphomycosis caused by Exophiala spinifera in two cats. Journal of Medical and Veterinary Mycology, 27: 257–264. [Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]. There are a number of cases in the literature in which the diagnosis has been based solely on histopathology, which, although characteristic, gives no indication as to the identity of the fungus involed ⁽⁵⁾ Haschek, WM and Kasali, OB. 1977. A case of cutaneous feline phaeohyphomycosis caused by Phialophora gougerotii. Cornell Veterinarian, 67: 467–471.  [Google Scholar] ⁽⁶⁾ Hill, JR, Migaki, G and Phemister, RD. 1973. Phaeomycotic granuloma in a cat. Veterinary Pathology, 15: 559–561.  [Google Scholar] ⁽⁷⁾ Sisk, DB and Chandler, FW. 1982. Phaeohyphomycosis and cryptococcosis in a cat. Veterinary Pathology, 19: 554–556.  [Google Scholar].