EXOPHIALA SPINIFERA NASAL INFECTION IN A CAT AND A LITERATURE-REVIEW OF FELINE PHAEOHYPHOMYCOSES

A case of Exophiala spinifera nasal infection is described in an 8-yea r-old female Birman cat who was examined for a nodulous mass protrudin g from the right nostril. It is the first clinical case record of E. s pinifera from Europe and the second report of that black yeast infecti on in animals. Diagnosis was confirmed by histology, direct microscopi c examination of biopsy samples and culture. Surgery in combination wi th a long-term permanent antifungal therapy with various drugs (oral k etoconazole [KTC] 10 mg kg(-1) day(-1) for 5 months, KTC and local eni lconazole for 2 months, then fluconazole 10 mg kg(-1) day(-1) during 1 5 months) could not bring the cure. The cat was feline leukaemia virus antigen negative, feline immunodeficiency virus and feline infectious peritonitis virus antibodies negative; no predisposing factors could be found. Identical fungal elements were found in tissues before any s pecific treatment and after seven months of KTC therapy which did not prevent the isolation of E. spinifera in two occasions. Clinical aspec t, aetiology, diagnosis, epidemiological data and treatment of the cas e are then discussed in a literature review about feline phaeohyphomyc oses. This review concerns 37 feline cases of phaeohyphomycosis and ph aeomycotic mycetoma that have been caused by at least 14 different spe cies belonging to 12 genera of dematiaceous fungi.