Cutaneous Yarrowia lipolytica infection in an immunocompetent woman

INTRODUCTION Patients are at increased risk of cutaneous and systemic fungal infections when immunocompromised secondary to chemotherapy administration, hematopoietic and solid organ transplantation, diabetes, and AIDS. Those infections caused by Candida species are increasing in severity and frequency. Yarrowia lipolytica, formerly termed Candida lipolytica, has only recently been implicated as an offending organism and is now believed to exist as normal flora in the mouth, gut, and pulmonary tree. Most infections present as sepsis and, because the organism is considered of low virulence, are not necessarily treated with antifungal medications. A cutaneous infection has only been reported once previously.