First record of Aspergillus brunneus causing fingernail aspergillomycosis in a primary schoolchild

Abstract

Onychomycosis among children has been reported to be of less common occurrence than in adults. However, species of Aspergillus are emerging as the new causative agents of onychomycosis. Here, we report a new case of fingernail aspergillomycosis in an 11-year-old schoolboy. The thumbnail of the patient demonstrated thickening, yellow discoloration, and onycholysis at the distal end. Culturing of the clinical nail sample on Sabouraud dextrose agar medium supplemented with chloramphenicol (0.05 mg/ml) produced yellowish-white colonies repeatedly on more than three consecutive occasions. Slide cultures showed uniseriate phialides covering two-third of the vesicle. Further, DNA sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region confirmed its identity as Aspergillus brunneus. This is the first documented report of A. brunneus as an etiological agent of onychomycosis.

Keywords

• aspergillomycosis
• aspergillus brunneus
• fingernail
• onychomycosis