[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Microbiology](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/) › [Dimorphic fungi](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/groups/dimorphic-fungi/) › Sporothrix schenckii [Microbiology](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/) · [Dimorphic fungi](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/groups/dimorphic-fungi/) # Sporothrix schenckii - Fungus - Exam priority: medium A fungus of plants and soil that enters through a thorn or splinter; it forms nodules that climb the arm along the lymphatic vessels. Updated 2026-11-01 Also called: Sporothrix brasiliensis, rose gardener's disease, sporotrichosis ## Key points - Rose thorn or splinter and nodules climbing the arm - Ascending lymphangitic spread (sporotrichoid pattern) - Dimorphic: elongated yeast in tissue - Cats spread S. brasiliensis in South America - Itraconazole; potassium iodide as the classic alternative ## At a glance **Shape** In tissue, small oval or elongated cigar-shaped yeasts **Family** Ophiostomataceae (Ophiostomatales) **Type** Thermally dimorphic fungus: mold in the environment, yeast in tissue **Stain** PAS and silver (GMS) on biopsy; few yeasts are seen in tissue **Size** Yeasts of about 2–6 µm ## Morphology - In the environment: mold with conidia clustered like a flower at the tips of conidiophores - In tissue: elongated, scarce yeasts - Sometimes asteroid bodies: a yeast surrounded by radiating eosinophilic material ## Transmission - Skin inoculation by thorns (rose bushes), splinters, hay, moss or soil - S. brasiliensis: scratches, bites or secretions of sick cats, mainly in Brazil - Rarely by inhalation (lung form) - Not spread from person to person **Reservoir:** Soil, plants, moss, wood and hay; Cats (S. brasiliensis) ### Isolation precautions What the care team adds to standard precautions. - Standard ## Virulence factors - Conversion to yeast in tissue - Melanin and adhesins that aid survival - Thermotolerance: strains that tolerate 37 °C can disseminate ## Diseases it causes - Sporotrichosis: lymphocutaneous form (most common), fixed cutaneous form and, in the immunosuppressed or people with alcohol use disorder, lung or disseminated disease [Sporotrichosis and other subcutaneous mycoses →](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/sporotrichosis-and-other-subcutaneous-mycoses/) ## Clinical picture - A painless papule at the wound site that ulcerates - New nodules in a line climbing the lymphatic path of the arm or leg - Fixed cutaneous form: a plaque on the face or arm without a chain of nodules - Disseminated: joints, bone and meninges in HIV ## Diagnosis - Culture of pus or biopsy: the reference method - Biopsy with PAS or silver; yeasts are scarce - PCR for the species - Serology performs variably ## Treatment Itraconazole is the usual treatment for skin forms; alternatives are saturated solution of potassium iodide and terbinafine. Lung or disseminated forms need amphotericin B at first. Treatment lasts months. Drug class only; doses and regimens are set by the clinician from the current guideline. In Pharmacology: - [Itraconazole](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/itraconazole/) - [Potassium iodide](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/potassium-iodide/) - [Terbinafine](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/terbinafine/) - [Amphotericin B](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/amphotericin-b/) ## Prevention - Gloves and protective clothing when handling plants, moss, hay or soil - Careful handling and veterinary care of cats with lesions - Washing and watching thorn wounds ## In Colombia In Colombia it occurs in rural areas among people who work with plants and soil; cat-borne transmission (S. brasiliensis), spreading in South America, is a risk to watch. ## Memory aid The fungus that climbs the ladder: it gets in through the thorn in the hand and climbs, nodule by nodule, rung by rung, up the lymphatic chain. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## Which lesion pattern is typical of lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis? A lesion at the wound site followed by a line of nodules ascending along the lymphatic vessels. ## Which animal transmits Sporothrix brasiliensis to people in South America? The cat, through scratches, bites or lesion secretions. ## What is the usual antifungal for cutaneous sporotrichosis? Itraconazole; potassium iodide and terbinafine are alternatives. [Add to my cards (3)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/microbiology/sporothrix-schenckii/) ## Related - [Agents of chromoblastomycosis (Fonsecaea and other pigmented fungi)](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/agents-of-chromoblastomycosis/) - [Dermatophytes (Trichophyton, Microsporum, Epidermophyton)](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/dermatophytes/) ## Related conditions - [Sporotrichosis and other subcutaneous mycoses](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/sporotrichosis-and-other-subcutaneous-mycoses/) ## What the colours mean **Gram-positive** Thick peptidoglycan wall: stains purple. **Gram-negative** Thin wall with an outer membrane: stains pink. **Acid-fast** Lipid-rich wall (mycobacteria): Ziehl–Neelsen stain. [← Back to the group: Dimorphic fungi](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/groups/dimorphic-fungi/) Educational content on microorganisms; not a treatment guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given. Sources: [Sporotrichosis Basics](https://www.cdc.gov/sporotrichosis/about/index.html) (CDC, 2024); [Clinical Overview of Sporotrichosis](https://www.cdc.gov/sporotrichosis/hcp/clinical-overview/index.html) (CDC, 2024). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/sporothrix-schenckii/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/sporothrix-schenckii/