Early clinical and laboratory diagnosis of invasive pulmonary, extrapulmonary, and disseminated mucormycosis (zygomycosis).

Early diagnosis of invasive mucormycosis is important for timely therapeutic intervention, improved survival, and reduced morbidity. Given the importance of an accurate and rapid diagnosis of invasive mucormycosis to guide the timely initiation of amphotericin B and possible surgical intervention, a coordinated multidisciplinary approach of clinical assessment, diagnostic imaging, and laboratory assessment is necessary. Laboratory assessment for mucormycosis includes the conventional methods of direct examination and culture of tissue, respiratory secretions, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and other fluids.

Eumycetoma caused by Cladophialophora bantiana successfully treated with itraconazole.

A 57-year-old male presented with dermatosis of the dorsum of the foot consisting of tumefaction, deformity and sinus tract formation. The direct examination of exudates as well as the biopsy tissue, demonstrated the presence of black granules. A dematiaceous fungus was isolated from the lesions and was identified by ribosomal DNA sequencing as Cladophialophora bantiana.

Indoor mould development and dispersal.

Indoor mould development can occur following the accumulation of free water associated with a susceptible building material. Upon entry of viable fungal propagules from outdoors, the fungus becomes attached to a susceptible substrate. Vegetative growth begins if the appropriate environmental conditions exist, the primary ones being ample free water and a susceptible substrate that can provide the necessary nutrients for fungal growth.

Molecular identification of Phialophora oxyspora as the cause of mycetoma in a horse.

Case Description: An 18-year-old mare was evaluated for an oral mass that developed after extraction of a broken incisor.

Clinical Findings: An ulcerated, firm, darkly pigmented, approximately 5-cm-diameter spherical mass involved the gingiva lateral and dorsal to the right first to third maxillary incisors. Osteolysis of the roots of the first and second right maxillary incisors and periosteal proliferation of the adjacent premaxilla margins were apparent on radiographs.

Use of the Coccidioides posadasii Deltachs5 strain for quality control in the ACCUPROBE culture identification test for Coccidioides immitis.

Coccidioides posadasii Deltachs5 is a strain that is excluded from the select agent list. Sixteen assays using test reagents from three different ACCUPROBE Coccidioides immitis culture identification test lots had an average of 132,998 relative light units (RLU), which is well beyond the 50,000-RLU positive cutoff value for the test. Coccidioides posadasii Deltachs5 is a satisfactory quality control isolate in the ACCUPROBE culture identification test for Coccidioides immitis.

Differences in beta-glucan levels in culture supernatants of a variety of fungi.

(1-->3)-beta-d-glucan is a well known cell wall constituent of fungal isolates that can be detected by assays in vivo and in vitro. Previous studies have shown that different fungal isolates may show different levels of reactivity with an assay for beta glucan. In this study we evaluated the in vitro reactivity of 127 clinical fungal isolates belonging to 40 different genera, with the Glucatell assay.

Tropical dermatology: fungal tropical diseases.

Unlabelled: Fungal infections are common in tropical countries and can have an important impact on public health. Lobomycosis is a common fungal infection in the tropical rain forest of South America, and paracoccidioidomycosis (South American blastomycosis) is a widespread and sometimes severe illness. Penicilliosis marneffei is an opportunistic infection of AIDS patients in southeast Asia.

Invasive Exserohilum sinusitis in a patient with aplastic anemia.

A case of acute, invasive, sinusitis caused by the dematiaceous mold Exserohilum rostratum is presented. Herein we examine the subtypes of fungal sinusitis and briefly discuss some characteristics, pathologic and microbiologic differential diagnoses and management strategies of Exserohilum sinus infection in an immunocompromised patient.

Fusarium sporodochia on cutaneous wounds.

A histopathological review of 24 cases of Fusarium-spp. culture-positive human specimens reveal sporodochia in eight cases, all of which were cutaneous injuries. These included three patients with burn wounds, three patients with ischemic necrosis, one patient who suffered trauma with extensive contamination of the injury with vegetation, and one patient with an ischemic skin graft placed for treatment of a non-healing traumatic leg injury sustained in a motor vehicle-pedestrian accident.

Pathogenesis of indoor fungal diseases.

Mold growth within homes and other buildings has been associated to varying degrees with human health problems. These problems vary from allergenic disease to toxicosis. Case definitions for mold exposure have not been adequately defined to allow for a pathognomonic diagnosis of mold-caused disease following indoor exposure.

Subcutaneous mycoses.

Subcutaneous mycoses include a heterogeneous group of fungal infections that develop at the site of transcutaneous trauma. Infection slowly evolves as the etiologic agent survives and adapts to the adverse host tissue environment. Diagnosis rests on clinical presentation, histopathology, and culture of the etiologic agents.