Candida guilliermondii Onychomycosis Involving Fingernails in a Breast Cancer Patient under Docetaxel Chemotherapy

Abstract

Onychomycosis has been shown to have a higher incidence in cancer patients. Nail toxicity is a quite common side effect of anticancer agents. Taxotere© is a chemotherapeutic known to cause great incidence of nail change and has a role in subungual suppuration. We report on a 52-year-old woman with breast cancer admitted in our institution for onycholysis. Because of the stage and histology of breast cancer, neoadjuvant chemotherapy was initiated. The patient received 8 cycles of Taxotere and Adriamycin (AT), and she underwent a modified radical mastectomy. Three months later, the patient developed evidence of onycholysis, involving all the fingernails. We observed the following changes in nails of all the digits in both hands: onycholysis, dystrophy, oedema, and exudate. Nail scraping and purulent discharge were collected and cultured on Sabouraud medium. Physical features of the colonies and biochemical tests (Auxacolor©) revealed Candida guilliermondii as the sole etiologic agent of onychomycosis. This case details an onycholysis in a breast cancer case successfully managed solely with amorolfine lacquer. This clinical and mycological presentation should alert the clinician to the possibility of onychomycosis induced by docetaxel chemotherapy.

Keywords

• purulent discharge
• docetaxel
• onychomycosis
• candida guilliermondii