Rev Iberoam Micol 2008; 25:54-56.

Infectious arthritis as the single manifestation of sporotrichosis: Serology from serum and synovial fluid samples as an aid to diagnosis

Rosane Orofino Costa1, Karlos Celso de Mesquita2, Patrícia S. Damasco1, Andréa Reis Bernardes-Engemann3, Claudia Maria P. Dias1, Ione C. Silva1 & Leila M. Lopes-Bezerra3

1Serviço de Dermatologia, Laboratório de Micologia and 2Serviço de Ortopedia, Hospital Universitário Pedro
Ernesto, UERJ; Rio de Janeiro, Brasil; 3Laboratório de Micologia Celular e Proteômica, Departamento de Biologia Celular e Genética, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, UERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Sporotrichosis is a generally cutaneous, granulomatous, chronic and benign infection. Less frequently the disease may affect the joints. Articular involvement is usually characterized by monoarthritis in the absence of systemic symptoms, generally preceded by skin lesions, and frequently affects immunosuppressed individuals. We describe here the case of a healthy patient presenting knee arthritis without skin lesions, diagnosed as sporotrichosis, and treated with oral itraconazole. Serology used in this case was an invaluable tool for the diagnosis of sporotrichosis arthritis lacking skin lesions.



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