Onychomycosis Caused by Kodamaea ohmeri in a Patient with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) – A Case Report
Case Report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55175/cdk.v53i07.1895Keywords:
Case report, fungal nail infection, HIV, Kodamaea ohmeri, onychomycosisAbstract
Introduction: Onychomycosis is a fungal nail infection usually caused by dermatophytes. Kodamaea ohmeri is a rare fungus that has been reported as a pathogen capable of causing onychomycosis and systemic infections. This yeast-like fungus is often misidentified as Candida sp. A complete identification is required for accurate results. Case: A 40-year-old male with HIV presented with yellow and brittle fingernails for 2 months. KOH examination of nail scrapings was performed, followed by fungal culture. The isolate was identified in parallel using the Integral System Yeast Plus, Vitek-2, MALDI-TOF (Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry), and sequencing, and the result was Kodamaea ohmeri. The patient received oral itraconazole and topical ketoconazole. Discussion: Onychomycosis in HIV patients is caused by low immunity, high viral load, and low CD4 values. In this case, K. ohmeri was successfully identified using Vitek-2, MALDI-TOF, and ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) area sequencing, while the Integral System Yeast Plus misidentified the isolate as Candida tropicalis. There was clinical improvement in the nail after treatment. Conclusion: Onychomycosis in HIV patients can be caused by Kodamaea ohmeri. Identification can be done with Vitek-2 and MALDI-TOF.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ardiana Kusumaningrum, Siti Nadliroh, mardiastuti wahid, Fithriyah Sjatha, Cliff Clarence Haliman, Sandra Widaty, Robiatul Adawiyah, Rizkia Chairani, Aditya Pratama, Rizka Mutiara
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