First Reported Case of a Clinically Nonresponsive-to-Itraconazole Isolated from a Skin Infection of a Nonimmunocompromised Patient from Romania

Background: is a melanic fungus capable of causing a wide variety of infections, some of which have lethal potential. It is a ubiquitous fungus and a well-known plant pathogen. Cutaneous infections with most often occur in the extremities of patients who perform conventional agriculture, thus being exposed to occupational hazards leading to the disruption of the skin barrier.

Methods: This paper presents the first case report from Romania of an itraconazole nonresponsive cutaneous alternariosis in a patient without any type of immunosuppression.

Results: After an initial misdiagnosis regarding the etiology of the patient's skin infection, two successive punch biopsies, followed by mycologic examination, lead to the final diagnosis of cutaneous alternariosis. Treatment guided by antifungal susceptibility testing has been instituted, leading to the gradual healing of the patient's skin ulcerations.

Conclusions: The ability of to infect immunocompetent human hosts and to develop resistance to antifungal drugs highlight the importance of correctly diagnosing the etiology of skin ulcerations and instituting appropriate treatment guided by antifungal susceptibility testing whenever the suspicion of a fungal skin infection is plausible.