infections
Sporotrichosis
Introduction
Sporotrichosis is an infection caused by the fungusSporothrix schenckii. The infection develops when the fungi enter the body through small cuts and scrapes in the skin. Usually, the skin and nearby lymph nodes are infected, resulting in bumps on the skin and swollen lymph nodes. Rarely, the lungs, joints, or other parts of the body are infected. Diagnosis requires culture and identification of the fungus in a sample of infected tissue. Itraconazoleis used to treat most infections, butamphotericin Bis required for bodywide infections. (See also Overview of Fungal Infections .) Sporothrixfungi typically grow on rose bushes, barberry bushes, sphagnum moss, and other mulches. In contrast to many other fungal infections,Sporothrixfungi are not usually inhaled but rather enter the body through small cuts and scrapes in the skin. Most often, infections occur in farmers, gardeners, horticulturists, and timber workers. Sporotrichosis affects mainly the skin and nearby Overview of the Lymphatic System . Very rarely, a lung infection occurs after spores are inhaled. Also very rarely, bones, joints, or the brain and spinal cord are infected, usually in people with a weakened immune system, such as those with AIDS. 