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This communication reports the second known case of oral phaeohyphomycosis in a patient with squamocellular carcinoma of the lip. The patient, an 82-year-old black woman, a former smoker (for more than 30 years), suffering from an ulcerous vegetative lesion in the middle third of the lower lip for approximately 12 months. The result of the histopathological analysis indicated carcinoma, with well-differentiated keratinized squamous cells and the presence of septate mycelial filaments. In the direct mycological examination, thick and dematiaceous septate mycelial filaments were observed. After the resection surgery, the patient did not need to use an antifungal drug to treat the phaeohyphomycosis, and no follow-up radiotherapy was needed to treat the squamocellular carcinoma. We stress that the presence of the squamocellular lesion of the lip was a possible contributing factor to the infection.

Trichosporon species are usually opportunistic pathogens. Here, we present a case of esophagitis caused by T. inkin in a 54-year-old woman with pulmonary cancer and severe neutropenia in whom the susceptibility profile of the isolate against azoles and polyenes was verified. The patient was diagnosed with esophagitis grade I of Wilcox, presenting scattered whitish plaques and exudates in upper two-thirds of the esophageal mucosa. Antifungal therapy involving oral fluconazole (150 mg/day for 14 days) was ineffective. In vitro, the isolate showed no resistance to this azole and sensitivity to amphotericin B. Since T. inkin is of growing importance as an agent of invasive infections in immunocompromised patients, we stress that the diagnosis of esophagitis by this species should be followed by an assessment of the therapeutic sensitivity of the strain involved.

Aims: The in vitro activity of ciclopirox olamine was evaluated against Cryptococcus spp. obtained from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of immunocompromised patients. Methods and Results: The antifungal activity of ciclopirox olamine was tested against Cryptococcus spp. obtained from the CSF of immunocompromised patients, using amphotericin B and fluconazole as controls. The minimal inhibitory concentration was determined following the microdilution method indicated by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. The minimal fungicide concentration was determined by the absence of growth on Sabouraud dextrose agar. The data obtained showed that antifungal activity of ciclopirox olamine ranged from 0·25 to 1 μg ml−1. Conclusions: This paper underscores the importance of the antifungal potential of ciclopirox olamine against Cryptococcus spp. as an alternative treatment against systemic cryptococosis. In vivo experiments are essential for future medical use. Significance and Impact of the Study: This was the first time that ciclopirox olamine was tested against Cryptococcus spp. using the reference method. The antifungal activity of this drug against this species suggests an applicable potential for systemic cryptococcosis therapy.