A 40 years old male from Himachal Pradesh has presented with verrucous lesions in the skin with following microscopic findings from the tissue biopsy. What is the diagnosis?

Ans. (a) ChromoblastomycosisRef: Ananthanarayan and Paniker T.B of microbiology - 10th ed- page 605* Chromoblastomycosis is a fungal infection caused by pigmented fungi (also called as dematiaceous fungi)* It most commonly affects the agricultural workers and woodcutters, and usually follows a trauma.* It produces verrucous, warty, cutaneous nodules. Hence also called as verrucous dermatitis.* Agents:# Fonsecae spp.,# Exophiala spp.,# Cladophialophora* Lab diagnosis: KOH mount or tissue biopsy and staining of the lesions shows - irregular, dark brown bodies with septae (yeast like bodies) - called as Sclerotic bodies (seen in image as brown coloured)* Treatment: Amphotericin B, Itraconazole