Indian Journal of Microbiology Research
  • Year: 2015
  • Volume: 2
  • Issue: 4

Onychomycosis caused by Curvularia lunata in an immunocompetent host-A case report

1Professor & Head of the, Department AIMS, B.G. Nagara, Karnataka, India

2Assistant Professor, Dept. of Microbiology, AIMS, B.G. Nagara, Karnataka, India

3Postgraduate Student, Dept. of Microbiology, AIMS, B.G. Nagara, Karnataka, India

4Tutor, Department of Microbiology, Raja Rajeshwari medical college & research centre, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

*Corresponding Author, E-mail: vijayadanand@rediffmail.com

Online published on 4 February, 2016.

Abstract

Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of nail caused by dermatophytes, yeasts or non-dermatophyte moulds. Curvularia species is a dematiaceous fungi. We are reporting a case of Onychomycosis caused by Curvularia, for its rarity.

A 45 year old female, agriculturist by occupation presented with black discolourationof left thumb nailsince 6 months. KOH preparation of nail clipping showed dark pigmented septate hyphae with 3 to 4 celled conidia with transverse septa. Growth on sabouraud's dextrose agar yielded Curvularia lunata. Same fungi was isolated on repeat culture. The patient was put on pulse therapy with Itraconazole.

Keywords

Onychomycosis, Curvularia lunata, Itraconazole