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The term phaeohyphomycosis (PHM) means dark-pigmented fungal hyphae. Cerebral PHM (CPHM) with onychomycosis is extremely rare; very few have been reported so far. The authors report a case of CPHM with onychomycosis in a 37-year-old male from a rural background in Haryana, India, with involvement of the left frontal lobe. The mass was resected and biopsy was sent for histopathological examination. He was given antifungal drugs in the postoperative period. The patient responded very well to the treatment, and there were no signs of recurrence at the 6-month follow-up visit. The clinical features, imaging and histopathological investigations, and management of this rare entity are discussed, and the available literature is also reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebral phaeohyphomycosis is a rare and frequently fatal disease, often caused by hematogenous spread of pathogens that are inoculated in the skin of the extremities following minor trauma, and its mortality rate is much high despite aggressive treatment. A rare case of 25-year-old immuno-competent man with cerebral abscess has been described. The etiological agent was microbiologically proved to be a dematiaceous fungi Cladophilaophora bantiana, which is primarily a neurotropic fungus causing deep-seated intra-cranial infections. Treatment was individualized by surgical intervention and appropriate anti-fungal therapy. Thus, it has been described as a successfully managed case of cerebral phaeohyphomycosis known to be associated with a high degree of morbidity and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]