In Brazilian dairy cattle,
protothecosis has been described as an important cause of environmental mastitis, occasioning great damage to the mammary gland and resulting in animal discard (SALERNO et al., 2010).
Human
Protothecosis. Clin Microbiol Rev 20: 230-242.
Fit, "Antimicrobial activity of Mentha piperita and Saturenja hortensis in a murine model of cutaneous
protothecosis," Journal of Medical Mycology, vol.
An image of
protothecosis, an algae that can very rarely cause human infection, on Dr Gardner's computer screen was used as an aesthetically pleasing background for the screenshots.
In the dog,
protothecosis is usually manifested as a disseminated disease [1, 2].
Ubiquitous and opportunistic algae without chlorophyl of the genus Prototheca cause
protothecosis, a rare disease that affects both humans and animals (l).
Epidemiological studies on bovine
protothecosis. In: Proceedings of the 18 Congreso Mondiale di Buiatria; 1994, Bologna.
(18.) Todd JR, King JW, Oberle A, Matsumoto T, Odaka Y, Fowler M, et al.,
Protothecosis: report of a case with 20 year follow-up and review of previously published cases: Med Mycol.
Some authors have described a successful treatment on localized
protothecosis with voriconazole (6).
Protothecosis is caused by saprophytic achlorophyllous algae of the genus Prototheca, which are closely related to Chlorella green algae (DILLBERGER et al., 1988; SIQUEIRA et al., 2008; PRESSLER, 2012).
Cutaneous
protothecosis is an uncommon indolent condition occurring primarily in immunocompromised individuals.
Prototheca species are widely distributed in the environment and have been isolated from water, sewage, and soil, but fewer than 100 cases of human infection have been reported in the literature.[5,6] Trauma and contaminated water are the most common vectors of infection,[7] while the face and exposed extremities are the usual sites of cutaneous
protothecosis.
Protothecosis has been reported in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals, and clinical presentations of infection include focal or disseminated, chronic cutaneous/subcutaneous infection,[5,6] bursitis,[1] and, rarely, systemic infection.[8] Soft tissue infections favor the olecranon bursa, sites of trauma, or surgical wounds exposed to soil or water (eg, hand tendon repair).
