Skin involvement with Pneumocystis despite dapsone prophylaxis: a rare cause of skin nodules in a patient with AIDS.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is among the most common life-threatening opportunistic infections that occurs in those with HIV infection and a depleted absolute CD4+ T-lymphocyte count. Fortunately, with the advent of effective prophylaxis, this AIDS-defining complication is diminishing. Rarely, Pneumocystis carinii (P carinii) occurs outside the lungs, typically in the setting of prophylaxis with aerosolized pentamidine or no prophylaxis at all. This is the case of a man with advanced AIDS and bilateral hyperpigmented axillary nodules secondary to cutaneous pneumocystosis. Unlike most other examples of extrapulmonary P carinii, dissemination occurred without documented pulmonary infection and despite prophylaxis with high-dose dapsone. A biopsy should be performed on unusual cutaneous lesions in the setting of advanced AIDS because unexpected findings may have important therapeutic implications.