| Abstract: | The spectrum of infectious diseases with potential skin involvement, either primary or secondary to systemic disease, is vast. Unusual host inflammatory responses may be elicited by certain pathogens, including reactions with an inherent capacity for misdiagnosis as neoplasia. Current, emerging, re-emerging and/or recently recognized pathogens or infections of major significance include carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacterial infections, Ebola virus disease, measles, Mycobacterium lepromatosis as a second aetiological agent of leprosy, and Emergomyces africanus infection among those living with HIV/AIDS. The era of molecular microbiology has also seen recent changes in taxonomy, including Talaromyces marneffei (formerly Penicillium marneffei) and Cutibacterium acnes (formerly Propionobacterium acnes). Precise speciation by PCR on formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue, however, remains a challenge despite recent advances in molecular microbiology. Finally, one must remain cognizant of the wide range of potential infective manifestations of the immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in HIV-infected individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy. |
