Piedras are small nodules found on hair shafts, with white piedra previously linked to Trichosporon beigelii, now causing a reassessment of its causative agents.
The first recorded case of white piedra was identified as being caused by Cutaneotrichosporon debeurmannianum, which was studied using scanning electron microscopy and cultures from Sabouraud medium.
Genetic analysis showed 99.6% similarity between the nucleotide sequences of the isolated fungus and the 28S large ribosomal unit rDNA, confirming Cutaneotrichosporon debeurmannianum as the causative agent of this white piedra case.
Background: Little is known about the ultrastructure of Piedraia hortae.
Objective: To examine a P. hortae colony with scanning electron microscopy and investigate possible contributions to its the pathogenesis of black piedra.