Widespread and invasive Trichophyton rubrum infection mimicking Kaposi's sarcoma in a patient with AIDS.

Opportunistic fungal infections are commonly encountered in AIDS patients. Candidiasis, tinea pedis, onychomycosis, and deep mycotic infections have been the fungal infections most frequently reported in these patients. Dermatophyte infections can appear to be atypical and aggressive in these patients and may lead to a misdiagnosis. We report a Trichophyton rubrum infection in a 44-year-old man with AIDS that presented as a widespread and multiple tumor-like appearance. After the patient was treated with terbinafine for 21 weeks, the lesions cleared completely. We think that this type of dermatophyte infection is very unusual in patients with AIDS and could lead to inappropriate diagnostic processes and treatments.