Aspergillus chevalieri (Mangin) Thom and Church: a new opportunistic pathogen of human cutaneous aspergillosis

Three cases of opportunistic cutaneous aspergillosis caused by Aspergillus chevalieri are described. The lesions were erythematous and hyperkeratotic with vesicopapular eruptions and scaling. Histopathology revealed granulomatous reaction showing polymorphonuclear leucocytes around fungal hyphae, which were broad, septate, branched and aggregated in the epidermal area. Oxiconazole and amorolfine, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 10 micrograms ml-1, were the most active drugs against A. chevalieri 'in vitro'. A. chevalieri is, for the first time, documented as opportunistic pathogen of man.