P177 A Psittacine bite and subcutaneous Zygomycosis in immune competent: Case with therapeutic challenge

POSTER SESSION 2, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: OBJECTIVES: Primary objective: To document a case of subcutaneous zygomycosis following a Psittacine bite in an immune-competent in India. Secondary objective: To follow-up the case till microbiological and clinical cure. METHOD: A case report entry prospectively carried out during 1.5 years of hospital visit of the patient with subcutaneous zygomycosis. This had ethical approval and patient consent obtained. A detailed account of case progression from date of first hospital admission to final cure was noted. A 56-year-old female from Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh India, apparently well 2 years back following a wild parrot bite on her back, causing an initial ulcer on infrascapular area gradually spreading bilaterally visited outpatient department of AIIMS, Bhopal. With prominent weight loss and non-healing ulcer; asymptomatic initially, ruptured spontaneously formed sinuses with exudate. Nodules and spontaneous rupture of nodule were mentioned. Provisional clinical differential diagnoses were nocardiosis, deep fungal infection, and Phagedenic ulcer. Tissue biopsy sent for microbiological and histopathological evaluation showed broad pauciseptate hyphae with right angle branching and bulging on direct microscopy suggesting subcutaneous zygomycosis. Histopathology H&E, and PAS showed similar morphology. A second sample sent was exudate from infrascapular region and showed broad pauciseptate hyphae with buildings on KOH mount. The patient was treated and discharged with some relief. Noncompliance to prescribed antifungal led to progression and horizontal spread forming plaque within months. A saturated solution of potassium iodide (SSKI) and itraconazole started. Lesions improved. The patient was again non-compliant and the lesions increased in size. The patient was reviewed again for the exacerbation and worsening. Around Day 10; SDA with chloramphenicol showed whitish growth with satellite colonies and LPCB showed broad quasi-septate hyaline hyphae, sporangia elongated, and beak with rounded zygospores suggesting Basidiobolus species. The patient received itraconazole, SSKI, and terbinafine. Species confirmation as Basidiobolus ranarum from PGIMER Chandigarh Mycology Reference center India was done. RESULTS: After 1.5 years, clinical improvement and final biopsy showed no growth and microscopy negative. The patient is on regular follow-up. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the traumatic implantation and zoonotic potential of fungal species. Clinical suspicion of fungal etiology and timely mycology laboratory diagnostic support is key to address such cases.