Positive Montenegro skin test among patients with sporotrichosis in Rio De Janeiro

• Published in: Acta tropica 2005, Vol.93 (1), p.41-47
• Main Authors: de Lima Barros, Mônica Bastos, Schubach, Armando, Francesconi-do-Valle, Antônio Carlos, Gutierrez-Galhardo, Maria Clara, Schubach, Tânia Maria Pacheco, Conceição-Silva, Fátima, de Matos Salgueiro, Mariza, Mouta-Confort, Eliame, Reis, Rosani Santos, de Fátima Madeira, Maria, Cuzzi, Tullia, Quintella, Leonardo Pereira, da Silva Passos, Janaína Pinho, Conceição, Maria José, de Almeida Marzochi, Mauro Célio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Animals; Antibodies, Fungal - blood; Antifungal Agents - therapeutic use; Antigens, Protozoan; Brazil; Child; Diagnosis, Differential; Disease Outbreaks; Female; Humans; Itraconazole - therapeutic use; Leishmania braziliensis - isolation & purification; Leishmaniasis; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - diagnosis; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - microbiology; Male; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Skin tests; Skin Tests - methods; Sporothrix - isolation & purification; Sporothrix schenckii; Sporotrichosis; Sporotrichosis - diagnosis; Sporotrichosis - drug therapy; Sporotrichosis - epidemiology; Sporotrichosis - parasitology; Thimerosal
• ISSN: 0001-706X; 1873-6254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2004.09.004

We studied 52 patients with sporotrichosis confirmed by isolation of Sporothrix schenckii and reactivity to the Montenegro skin test (MST) during an ongoing outbreak of this mycosis in Rio de Janeiro. The objective was to emphasize the importance of parasitological confirmation and the possibility of incorrect diagnosis based on the lesion's appearance, epidemiological information, and immunological tests. The antigen used for the MST was conserved in either thimerosal 1:10,000 (group 1) or 0.4% phenol (group 2). Nineteen patients (39%) in group 1 and seven (12%) in group 2 presented an induration ≥10 mm ( p < 0.001). Sera from three patients (6.7%) reacted to indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) for leishmaniasis, while sera from 10 patients (22.2%) reacted to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Fifteen patients (28.8%) presented up to two lesions, with a predominance of ulcers. Forty-four patients (84.6%) were treated with itraconazole. In the differential diagnosis between sporotrichosis and cutaneous leishmaniasis, the possibility of co-infection, allergy to the reagent diluent, and cross-reactions should be further investigated, especially in regions with limited laboratory facilities.