Skin nontumor
Infectious disorders
Botryomycosis
Author: Cecilia Rosales, M.D.
Last author update: 1 July 2011
Last staff update: 17 August 2020
Copyright: 2002-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Botryomycosis
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Terminology | Etiology | Case reports | Treatment | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) imagesCite this page: Rosales C. Botryomycosis. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/skinnontumorbotryomycosis.html. Accessed April 26th, 2024.
Definition / general
- Chronic pyogranulomatous lesion by sulfur granules resembling actinomycosis (Ann Trop Med Parasitol 2004;98:623) but actually due to Staphylococcus aureus and occasionally other organisms (Hum Pathol 2005;36:117, Clin Exp Dermatol 2008;33:266)
- Often associated with depressed immune systems (Nephrol Dial Transplant 1998;13:3200)
Terminology
- The disease was originally discovered by Otto Bollinger in 1870, and its name was coined by Sebastiano Rivolta in 1884
- The name refers to its grape-like granules (Greek: botryo = grapes) and the mistakenly implied fungal etiology (Greek: mykes = fungus)
- In 1919 the bacterial origin of the infection was discovered
Etiology
- Staphylococcus aureus is usually the causative organism, however, it can also be caused by Pseudomona aeroginosa or several other species of bacteria
- The anatomic structure resembles actinomycosis and mycetoma, and its granules resemble the sulfur granules of actinomycosis
- It is usually described in individuals with impaired immunity or with an underlying disease such as diabetes mellitus, cystic fibrosis or HIV infection
Case reports
- 51 year old man in Brazil with progressive lesion of leg (An Bras Dermatol 2009;84:396)
Treatment
- Excision and antimicrobial therapy (J Rheumatol 2006;33:2545, J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2003;17:87)
Microscopic (histologic) description
- The lesion is similar to that of actinomycosis and mycetoma, and its granules resemble the sulfur granules of actinomycosis
Microscopic (histologic) images
Contributed by Angel Fernandez-Flores, M.D., Ph.D.
