eMedicine Specialties > Dermatology > Parasitic Infections

Protothecosis, Cutaneous: Follow-up

Author: Sarah K Taylor, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Dermatology, Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center
Coauthor(s): Jon H Meyerle, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Laboratory Director, Department of Dermatology, Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center; Earl J Glusac, MD, Professor, Departments of Pathology and Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Dec 11, 2008

Follow-up

Complications

  • Failure to eradicate protothecosis may result in an expanded area of skin infection. Rare cases have progressed to disseminated infection, typically in patients who are severely immunocompromised.

Prognosis

  • Patients with localized disease have an excellent prognosis and can expect cure.
  • The prognosis of patients with severe disease and immunosuppression is poor.

Patient Education

  • Patients who have contracted protothecosis on one occasion should avoid bathing or swimming in lakes, streams, and ponds.

Miscellaneous

Special Concerns

  • Protothecosis is a rare infection, often involving individuals who are immunocompromised. An immune status evaluation may be judicious in patients presenting with this disorder.
 
Acknowledgments

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous Chief Editor, William D. James, MD, to the development and writing of this article.



More on Protothecosis, Cutaneous

Overview: Protothecosis, Cutaneous
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Protothecosis, Cutaneous
Treatment & Medication: Protothecosis, Cutaneous
Follow-up: Protothecosis, Cutaneous
Multimedia: Protothecosis, Cutaneous
References
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References

  1. Walsh SV, Johnson RA, Tahan SR. Protothecosis: an unusual cause of chronic subcutaneous and soft tissue infection. Am J Dermatopathol. Aug 1998;20(4):379-82. [Medline].

  2. Lass-Florl C, Mayr A. Human protothecosis. Clin Microbiol Rev. Apr 2007;20(2):230-42. [Medline].

  3. Lee JS, Moon GH, Lee NY, Peck KR. Case report: Protothecal tenosynovitis. Clin Orthop Relat Res. Dec 2008;466(12):3143-6. [Medline].

  4. Khoury JA, Dubberke ER, Devine SM. Fatal case of protothecosis in a hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient after infliximab treatment for graft-versus-host disease. Blood. Nov 15 2004;104(10):3414-5. [Medline].

  5. Torres HA, Bodey GP, Tarrand JJ, Kontoyiannis DP. Protothecosis in patients with cancer: case series and literature review. Clin Microbiol Infect. Aug 2003;9(8):786-92. [Medline].

  6. Carey WP, Kaykova Y, Bandres JC, Sidhu GS, Brau N. Cutaneous protothecosis in a patient with AIDS and a severe functional neutrophil defect: successful therapy with amphotericin B. Clin Infect Dis. Nov 1997;25(5):1265-6. [Medline].

  7. Polk P, Sanders DY. Cutaneous protothecosis in association with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. South Med J. Aug 1997;90(8):831-2. [Medline].

  8. Boyd AS, Langley M, King LE Jr. Cutaneous manifestations of Prototheca infections. J Am Acad Dermatol. May 1995;32(5 Pt 1):758-64. [Medline].

  9. Kantrow SM, Boyd AS. Protothecosis. Dermatol Clin. Apr 2003;21(2):249-55. [Medline].

  10. Zaitz C, Godoy AM, Colucci FM, de Sousa VM, Ruiz LR, Masada AS, et al. Cutaneous protothecosis: report of a third Brazilian case. Int J Dermatol. Feb 2006;45(2):124-6. [Medline].

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Further Reading

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Keywords

Prototheca, Prototheca wickerhamii, P wickerhamii, Prototheca zopfii, P zopfii, cutaneous protothecosis

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Sarah K Taylor, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Dermatology, Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Jon H Meyerle, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Laboratory Director, Department of Dermatology, Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center
Jon H Meyerle, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology and Sigma Xi
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Earl J Glusac, MD, Professor, Departments of Pathology and Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine
Earl J Glusac, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Barbara R Reed, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Dermatology, Dermatology Service, Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center; Consulting Staff, Denver Skin Clinic
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

David F Butler, MD, Professor of Dermatology, Texas A&M University College of Medicine; Chair, Department of Dermatology, Director, Dermatology Residency Training Program, Scott and White Clinic
David F Butler, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Association, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, American Society for MOHS Surgery, Association of Military Dermatologists, and Phi Beta Kappa
Disclosure: 3M Pharmaceutical Grant/research funds Other; Graceway Pharmaceuticals Grant/research funds Other

Managing Editor

Christen M Mowad, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Geisinger Medical Center
Christen M Mowad, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, and Phi Beta Kappa
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Catherine Quirk, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Brown University
Catherine Quirk, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha and American Academy of Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Dirk M Elston, MD, Director, Department of Dermatology, Geisinger Medical Center
Dirk M Elston, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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