Successful Treatment of a Child with Posttraumatic Necrotizing Fasciitis Caused by Apophysomyces elegans: Case Report and Review of Literature

Apophysomyces elegans is an uncommon human pathogen that causes deeply invasive infections in immunocompromised patients and cutaneous infection in immunocompetent patients. We report the development of severe deep soft tissue zygomycosis caused by A. elegans in an otherwise healthy child after trauma. She was successfully treated with surgical debridements and antifungal therapy with liposomal amphotericin B. A review of the literature indicates that zygomycosis caused by A. elegans is associated with traumatic inoculation.