The First Non-African Case of Trichophyton rubrum var. raubitschekii or a Urease-Positive Trichophyton rubrum in Central Europe?

• Published in: Mycopathologia (1975) Vol. 178; no. 1-2; pp. 91 - 96
• Main Authors: Adamski, Zygmunt, Kowalczyk, Michał J., Adamska, Kinga, Kubisiak-Rzepczyk, Honorata, Bowszyc-Dmochowska, Monika, Banaszak, Agnieszka, Bartkiewicz, Paweł, Żaba, Ryszard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.08.2014; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Antifungal Agents - therapeutic use; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Dermatology; DNA, Fungal - chemistry; DNA, Fungal - genetics; DNA, Ribosomal - chemistry; DNA, Ribosomal - genetics; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - chemistry; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - genetics; Drug dosages; Enzymes; Eukaryotic Microbiology; Genes, rRNA; Genetic testing; Hand - pathology; Health aspects; Histopathology; Humans; Hydrolases; Itraconazole; Itraconazole - therapeutic use; Life Sciences; Male; Medical Microbiology; Microbial Ecology; Microbiology; Mycoses; Pathogens; Plant Sciences; Poland; RNA, Fungal - genetics; RNA, Ribosomal, 28S - genetics; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Tinea - diagnosis; Tinea - drug therapy; Tinea - microbiology; Tinea - pathology; Treatment Outcome; Trichophyton - classification; Trichophyton - enzymology; Trichophyton - isolation & purification; Trichophyton rubrum; Urease - genetics; Urease - metabolism; White people; Poland; Central Europe; Poland; Dermatophytes; Urease; Diagnosis; Dermatophytosis; Epidemiology; Itraconazole
• ISSN: 0301-486X; 1573-0832
• DOI: 10.1007/s11046-014-9751-7

We report a case of a 34-year-old Polish Caucasian male who was diagnosed with tinea manuum caused by Trichophyton rubrum var. raubitschekii . It would be the first described case of a dermatophytosis caused by this fungus in Poland and one of a few cases in Central Europe described so far. Admittedly, it would be the first case in Central Europe with no evidence pointing to African origin. The clinical condition improved after administering itraconazole (daily dose 100 mg orally) supplemented with a topical treatment, while the patient was totally cured after 2 months. The histopathological examination turned out to be highly useful in the diagnostic process. The genetic analysis of the urease gene pointed to a urease-positive T . rubrum rather than T . rubrum var. raubitschekii.