Sporotrichosis treatment: Overview and update

Sporotrichosis, caused by several species from the genus Sporothrix, mainly affects men working in agricultural labor. It is reported mostly from endemic regions located in tropical and subtropical areas. Sporotrichosis usually affects subcutaneous tissue with no symptoms or mild symptoms, but it causes disseminated and even fatal disease if the patient is immunocompromised. Significant progress in the knowledge of etiologic agents of sporotrichosis has been achieved recently, but evaluations of treatment using well-designed clinical trials have been neglected. This article reviews the drugs currently used to treat subcutaneous disease, describing the differences in their efficacy, and reviews recent findings about the proposed new Sporothrix species of clinical interest, as well as the role of melanin as a virulence factor in Sporothrix schenckii.