Entomophthoramycosis Explained

Entomophthoramycosis (or Entomophthoromycosis)^[1] is a mycosis caused by Entomophthorales.^[2]

Examples include basidiobolomycosis and conidiobolomycosis.

Diagnosis

A culture of the infected tissue of the individual suspected of having Entomophthoramycosis^[3]

Treatment

Treatment for phycomycosis is very difficult and includes surgery when possible. Postoperative recurrence is common. Antifungal drugs show only limited effect on the disease, but itraconazole and terbinafine hydrochloride are often used for two to three months following surgery.^[4] Humans with Basidiobolus infections have been treated with amphotericin B and potassium iodide. For pythiosis and lagenidiosis, a new drug targeting water moulds called caspofungin is available, but it is very expensive.^[4] Immunotherapy has been used successfully in humans and horses with pythiosis.^[5] Treatment for skin lesions is traditionally with potassium iodide,^[6] but itraconazole has also been used successfully.^{[7] [8]}

Notes and References

1. Book: James, William D. . Berger, Timothy G. . Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: clinical Dermatology . Saunders Elsevier . 2006 . 978-0-7216-2921-6 . etal.
2. Prabhu RM, Patel R . Mucormycosis and entomophthoramycosis: a review of the clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment . Clin. Microbiol. Infect. . 10 . Suppl 1 . 31–47 . March 2004 . 14748801 . 10.1111/j.1470-9465.2004.00843.x. free .
3. Shaikh . N. . Hussain . K. A. . Petraitiene . R. . Schuetz . A. N. . Walsh . T. J. . Entomophthoramycosis: a neglected tropical mycosis . Clinical Microbiology and Infection . 1 August 2016 . 22 . 8 . 688–694 . 10.1016/j.cmi.2016.04.005 . 27109491 . 1198-743X. free .
4. Grooters A . Pythiosis, lagenidiosis, and zygomycosis in small animals . Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract . 33 . 4 . 695–720, v . 2003 . 12910739 . 10.1016/S0195-5616(03)00034-2.
5. Hensel P, Greene C, Medleau L, Latimer K, Mendoza L . Immunotherapy for treatment of multicentric cutaneous pythiosis in a dog . J Am Vet Med Assoc . 223 . 2 . 215–8, 197 . 2003 . 12875449 . 10.2460/javma.2003.223.215.
6. . 1997 . 17 . 2 . 161–4 . Invasive retroperitoneal infection due to Basidiobolus ranarum with response to potassium iodide—case report and review of the literature . Nazir Z, Hasan R, Pervaiz S, Alam M, Moazam F . 9230980 . 10.1080/02724936.1997.11747880 . 8214074 .
7. Wasim Yusuf N, Assaf HM, Rotowa NA . Invasive gastrointestinal Basidiobolus ranarum infection in an immunocompetent child . Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. . 22 . 3 . 281–2 . 2003 . 12664879 . 10.1097/00006454-200303000-00017 . free .
8. Mathew R, Kumaravel S, Kuruvilla S, etal . Successful treatment of extensive basidiobolomycosis with oral itraconazole in a child . Int. J. Dermatol. . 44 . 7 . 572–5 . 2005 . 15985026 . 10.1111/j.1365-4632.2004.02419.x . 40493791 .