Cokeromyces recurvatus in a cervical papanicolaou test: A case report of a rare fungus with a brief review of the literature

Here we report a rare case of Cokeromyces recurvatus in a Pap test in an asymptomatic pregnant patient. Each liquid‐based Pap slide contained multiple rounded yeast‐like forms measuring 10‐30 µm including some profiles with peripheral small buds. The background had neither epithelial abnormality nor any significant inflammation. A positive silver stain aided in confirming a fungal organism. Rare fungi were considered including Paracoccidioides brasiliensis due to the ‘mariner's wheel’ morphology of forms with peripheral budding; however, the final report morphologically favored C. recurvatus which was subsequently confirmed by culture. This is the sixth report of C. recurvatus isolated at a gynecologic site. While C. recurvatus has been reported to cause invasive disease in immunocompromised patients at deep sites, in the gynecologic tract it has so far been reported as a non‐pathogenic colonizer. Awareness of this organism and use of either culture or molecular diagnostics are important in avoiding misdiagnosis. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2016;44:419–421. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.