Disseminated cutaneous rhinosporidiosis

Abstract

Rhinosporidiosis is a chronic granulomatous disorder caused by Rhinosporidium seeberi. It frequently involves the nasopharynx and occasionally affects the skin. We herewith report a 55-year-old man who has disseminated cutaneous rhinosporidiosis. He presents with multiple reddish lesions over the nose of 10 year's duration. In the past year, he develops skin lesions over the right arm and over back. Histopathological examination of the skin biopsy specimen from the representative cutaneous lesions shows hyperplastic epithelium with numerous globular cysts of varying shape, representing sporangia in different stages of development. His serology for HIV infection by ELISA is negative. On the basis of these clinical and histopathological findings, a diagnosis of nasal rhinosporidiosis with cutaneous dissemination is made.