Fungal infections in the soft tissue: A study from a tertiary care center

Isolated fungal soft-tissue infections are uncommon but may cause severe morbidity or mortality, especially among immunosuppressed patients. In this study, a total of 56 soft-tissue specimens from patients with clinical suspicion of fungal infection collected at a tertiary care centre in Chennai during the period December 2005 to May 2007 were evaluated. Among the culture positives, majority were from diabetic patients. Among the 34 culture positives, the isolates consisted of Candida 12, Fusarium 4, Rhizopus 1 and Aspergillus 3 one each of Absidia corymbifera and Apophysomyces elegans. Treatment of fungal soft-tissue infection requires a team approach of surgeons, pathologists and microbiologists.