A Case of Deep Cutaneous Purpureocillium lilacinum Fungal Infection in an Immunocompetent Patient

Abstract

Purpureocillium is a genus of saprophytic fungi that is commonly found in soil or rotting material. Although rarely a pathogen in humans, it can cause serious infections in immunocompromized patients. An 85-year-old woman presented with a 2-week history of pruritic erythematous plaques with yellowish crusts on her right forearm and dorsal hand. Histopathological analysis identified fungal hyphae and spores in the dermis, and Purpureocillium lilacinum was identified through tissue culture, polymerase chain reaction, and DNA sequencing. The skin lesion barely responded to 4 weeks of itraconazole treatment but improved upon the addition of terbinafine. The skin lesion was completely cured after 12 weeks, with no recurrence to date. Here, we report a rare deep cutaneous fungal infection caused by P. lilacinum in an immunocompetent patient and postulate that, in this case, the patient's agricultural lifestyle increased the possibility of P. lilacinum infection.