Tintelnotia destructans, the Rare Opportunist of a Behçet's Disease Patient

Behçet's disease is a systemic vasculitis characterized by recurrent oral and genital ulcers that can have ophthalmologic, cutaneous, neurologic, vascular, and thromboembolic manifestations. Treatment usually involves immunosuppressant medication, which leads to an increased risk of opportunistic infections. Only recently identified, <i>Tintelnotia</i> <i>destructans</i> is a rare fungus that can cause eye and nail infections in humans, usually refractory to standard antifungal therapy. Ocular infections are most commonly associated with ocular trauma or the use of contact lenses and may cause permanent damage without adequate treatment. We present a case of a 40-year-old man with Behçet's disease, treated with adalimumab, who developed an ocular abscess due to <i>Tintelnotia destructans</i>. This clinical case serves the purpose of alerting for an opportunistic infection caused by a newly described and rare microorganism, which is hard to identify.

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Journal
Cureus
Published
2025-03-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.81142
Primary Topic
Ocular Diseases and Behçet’s Syndrome
Type
article
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article

Tintelnotia destructans, the Rare Opportunist of a Behçet's Disease Patient

Sofia Pinheiro, Diana Palacios, Rita Gano
Cureus
Ocular Diseases and Behçet’s Syndrome
article

Tintelnotia destructans, the Rare Opportunist of a Behçet's Disease Patient

Sofia Pinheiro, Diana Palacios, Rita Gano
article en

Abstract

Behçet's disease is a systemic vasculitis characterized by recurrent oral and genital ulcers that can have ophthalmologic, cutaneous, neurologic, vascular, and thromboembolic manifestations. Treatment usually involves immunosuppressant medication, which leads to an increased risk of opportunistic infections. Only recently identified, <i>Tintelnotia</i> <i>destructans</i> is a rare fungus that can cause eye and nail infections in humans, usually refractory to standard antifungal therapy. Ocular infections are most commonly associated with ocular trauma or the use of contact lenses and may cause permanent damage without adequate treatment. We present a case of a 40-year-old man with Behçet's disease, treated with adalimumab, who developed an ocular abscess due to <i>Tintelnotia destructans</i>. This clinical case serves the purpose of alerting for an opportunistic infection caused by a newly described and rare microorganism, which is hard to identify.

CureusVol. 17(3)
Hospital Pulido Valente (PT), Administração Regional de Saúde de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo (PT), Hospital Santo António dos Capuchos (PT), Universidade Nova de Lisboa (PT)
Openalex Percentile: Top 90%
Ocular Diseases and Behçet’s Syndrome
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