SKIN AFFECTATION AS UNIQUE MANIFESTATION OF CRYPTOCOCCOSIS, IN A PATIENT WITH AIDS

We report an exclusively cutaneous case of cryptococcosis, which is ex ceptional. He was a 33 years old patient with the acquired immunodefic iency syndrome who presented with an ulcer-necrotic lesion at the nasa l wings with a long and torpid evolution. Finally, culture and biopsy were diagnostic of cryptococcosis. We ruled out affection of other org ans and the cryptococcal antigen was negative in serum and cerebrospin al fluid. The patient was treated with fluconazole and had a good clin ical course. Its emphasized the scarcity of this form of presentation as well as the lack of specificity of its lesions and the necessity of ruling out other locations once the fungus is aisolated in the skin. Diagnosis is simple through skin biopsy and culture. Its important to determine the cryptococcal antigen. We comment on the current approach es to treatment during acute and maintenance phases, after the appeara nce of the new imidazolic compounds such as fluconazole.