Sporotrichosis

Sporotrichosis is an infection caused by the dimorphic fungus <i>Sporothrix schenckii</i>, generally occurring by traumatic inoculation of fungus from contaminated soil, plants, and organic matter, that has a highly variable disease spectrum but that usually presents as a subcutaneous mycosis with a single sporotrichotic chancre that may ulcerate and can then progress to lymphocutaneous (most common form; sporotrichotic chancre at inoculation site and a string of similar nodules along the proximal lymphatics), fixed cutaneous (localized asymptomatic, erythematous, papules at the inoculation site), or multifocal or disseminated cutaneous (rare form, with 3 or more lesions involving 2 different anatomical sites) forms. Pulmonary sporotrichosis occurs following inhalation of fungus and manifests as chronic pneumonitis while extracutaneous or systemic sporotrichosis (with osteoarticular, pulmonary, and central nervous system/meningeal disease) has also been reported, usually occurring in the setting of immunosuppression.