Congenital cutaneous candidiasis
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Congenital cutaneous candidiasis is a type of candida infection in newborn babies, which appears as generalized red patches and small
bumps A bumps race is a form of rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each crew attempting to catch and ‘bump’ the boat in front without being caught by the boat behind. The form is mainly used in intercollegia ...
on the
skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different de ...
or in the mouth, appearing at birth or a few days after birth. It can also occur as more serious widespread disseminated type. It is caused by '' Candida'' (a type of
yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constit ...
), usually as a complication following premature rupture of membranes in a mother with vaginal thrush. Diagnosis cannot usually be made before birth. It may be suspected by observing white-yellow spots on the placenta and around the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord may have areas of
dead tissue Necrosis () is a form of cell injury which results in the premature death of cells in living tissue by autolysis. Necrosis is caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, or trauma which result in the unregulated diges ...
or
calcification Calcification is the accumulation of calcium salts in a body tissue. It normally occurs in the formation of bone, but calcium can be deposited abnormally in soft tissue,Miller, J. D. Cardiovascular calcification: Orbicular origins. ''Nature Ma ...
. A sample of the cord under the microscope usually shows inflammation of the blood vessel walls, with lots of white blood cells, and the fungal filaments may be seen when the sample is stained. It is rare. The earliest known reports of new-born fungal infections in newborns following pregnancy were in the 19th century. The condition was previously known as 'Beck-Ibrahim disease', a term now abandoned due the association of Ibrahim with Nazi euthanasia.


Signs and symptoms

It may present as generalized red patches and small
bumps A bumps race is a form of rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each crew attempting to catch and ‘bump’ the boat in front without being caught by the boat behind. The form is mainly used in intercollegia ...
on the
skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different de ...
, appearing at birth or a few days after birth. There may be inflamed eyes, lung infection, and the baby may have swollen vagina and vulva. It can also occur as a more serious widespread disseminated type. Other features include difficulty breathing, fits,
low blood pressure Hypotension is low blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood. Blood pressure is indicated by two numbers, the systolic blood pressure (the top number) and the di ...
, a distended abdomen, poor feeding, a fluctuating temperature and high sugars.


Diagnosis

Diagnosis cannot usually be made before birth. It may be suspected by observing muddy looking amniotic fluid, or white-yellow spots on the placenta and around the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord may have areas of
dead tissue Necrosis () is a form of cell injury which results in the premature death of cells in living tissue by autolysis. Necrosis is caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, or trauma which result in the unregulated diges ...
or
calcification Calcification is the accumulation of calcium salts in a body tissue. It normally occurs in the formation of bone, but calcium can be deposited abnormally in soft tissue,Miller, J. D. Cardiovascular calcification: Orbicular origins. ''Nature Ma ...
. A sample of the cord under the microscope usually shows inflammation of the blood vessel walls, with lots of white blood cells, and the fungal filaments may be seen when the sample is stained. Bilirubin may be high and medical imaging may show evidence of pneumonia.


Cause

It is caused by '' Candida'' (a type of
yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constit ...
), usually as a complication following premature rupture of membranes in a mother with vaginal thrush.


References

Mycosis-related cutaneous conditions {{Cutaneous-infection-stub