Chromoblastomycosis (CBM) is classed as a Neglected Tropical Disease and the global burden for this infection has never before been classified. This new study considers published literature from 1914 to 2020. Over this period, a total of 7,740 patients with CBM were identified on all continents except Antarctica. Of these cases the authors identified 4,022 (81.7%) male and 896 (18.3%) female patients with a median age of 52.5 years (range between 2–93 years). The literature showed that the average time between the onset of the first lesion and CBM diagnosis was 9.2 years (range between 1 month to 50 years).
Fonsecaea spp. is the main etiological agent, responsible for more than 80% of cases. With Cladophialophora spp (14.5%) and 56 Phialophora spp. (1.5%) also represented in the findings.
The authors have shown CBM to be widespread across five different continents, especially in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Countries such as Madagascar, Gabon, Indian Ocean Islands, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, French Guiana, and Island of have particularly high densities of this condition.
This new review highlights the gap in epidemiological, diagnostic and therapeutic data, but the outcomes suggest that this disease is more prevalent that originally thought.
You can access a full version of the study here.