Granulomatous panniculitis caused by Candida albicans: a case presenting with multiple leg ulcers.

ABSTRACT

A 61-year-old woman had rapidly enlarging ulcers on both legs and three draining subcutaneous nodules on the left thigh. Findings of skin biopsy specimens revealed granulomatous panniculitis with a large number of blastospores and pseudohyphae. Candida albicans was cultured from the ulcers, the nodules, the mouth, the esophagus and gastric juice, feces, and urine. The ulcers healed after 5 months of therapy with itraconazole. Predisposing factors were diabetes mellitus, dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary system, hypochromic anemia, and prior treatment with a broad-spectrum antibiotic. In contrast to three other reported cases of Candida panniculitis, our patient had not undergone immunosuppressive therapy.