The first described case of Fomitiporella micropora infection in humans: A heart transplant recipient diagnosed by fungal PCR

Immunocompromised individuals are susceptible to cutaneous mycoses, often following skin trauma. Although infections by Candida, Cryptococcus, Malassezia, Aspergillus, and Mucorales are well-documented, human infection by unusual basidiomycetes is rarely reported. We describe a 69-year-old heart transplant recipient with a cutaneous nodule that was surgically excised and identified via fungal PCR as Fomitiporella micropora, a basidiomycete not previously implicated in human disease. The patient received posaconazole, though surgery was likely curative. This case highlights the expanding spectrum of basidiomycete infections and underscores the importance of advanced molecular diagnostics in identifying rare fungal pathogens, particularly in immunocompromised hosts.