A case of Phaeohyphomycosis caused by Corynespora cassiicola infection

Abstract

Background: Corynespora cassiicola infection is common in plants, but the human Corynespora cassiicola infection in our report is rare according to the literature. Case presentation: We report a case of subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis caused by a plant pathogen in a patient with acute heart failure. The organism was isolated and identified as Corynespora cassiicola according to its morphological characteristics and gene analysis. The patient was treated successfully with systemic voriconazole. Conclusions: This is the third reported case of subcutaneous infection caused by Corynespora cassiicola and the first reported case with accompanied renal impairment, which was associated with acute heart failure. Our case also suggests the importance of renal function monitoring in patients receiving intravenous voriconazole treatment.