Aureobasidium Melanogenum as an Uncommon Pathogen Causing Skin and Soft Tissue Infection: A Case Report and Literature Review

<i>Aureobasidium melanogenum</i> is an emerging pathogen of growing importance in medical literature. It is a dematiaceous fungus with a propensity to cause opportunistic infections in immunocompromised hosts. However, we present a case of an immunocompetent patient who developed a skin and soft-tissue infection caused by <i>A. melanogenum</i>. The pathogen was identified at a reference laboratory at the University of Texas (UT), San Antonio, Texas, using phenotypic and DNA sequencing techniques. The patient was successfully treated with a two-week course of intravenous micafungin. This case highlights the need to recognize such emerging organisms as potential causes for common community-acquired infections requiring prompt treatment rather than considering them as potential environmental contaminants.