Lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis is a mycotic disease caused by traumatic inoculation of the dimorphic fungus Sporothrix schenckii, found ubiquitously in decaying vegetation. The potential for outbreaks, difficulty with timely diagnosis, as well as the prolonged treatment course and recovery from surgical intervention can have a substantial impact on the medical readiness of service members. Treatment with the antifungal therapy of choice, itraconazole, requires close patient monitoring for the duration of treatment for clinical response, drug tolerance, as well as therapeutic drug levels. We present a case of a U.S. Army enlistee with sporotrichosis contracted during basic training, highlighting the impact of delayed diagnosis and prolonged treatment course and recovery on medical readiness.
Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2021. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.