infections
Sporotrichosis
Symptoms of Sporotrichosis
In sporotrichosis, an infection of the skin typically starts on a finger or hand as a small, painless bump (nodule). The bump slowly enlarges and forms an open sore. Over the next several days or weeks, the infection spreads through the lymphatic vessels of the finger, hand, and arm to the lymph nodes, forming more nodules and open sores along the way. Pus from the lymph nodes may break through the skin, causing an opening that infected material drains through. Even at this stage, there is little or no pain. Usually, people have no other symptoms. This infection is seldom fatal. Other symptoms are rare. An infection in the lungs may cause pneumonia, with a slight chest pain and cough. Lung infection usually occurs in people who have another lung disorder, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) . Joint infection causes swelling and makes movement painful. Very rarely, sporotrichosis spreads throughout the body. Such infections are life threatening and are more common among people with a weakened immune system. 