Diseases Caused by

Fungi
Medical Mycoses
Dermatophytes- superficial mycoses
1. Tinea pedis or athlete’s foot =Trichophyton
or Epidermophyton flocossum
2. Tinea corporis- or ringworm of the smooth
skin=Trichophyton rubrum or T.
mentagrophytes
3. Tinea capitis- ringworm of the scalp=
Trichophyton tonsurans, Microsporum
audouinii and M. canis
4. Tinea ungium or ringworm of the nails=
Trichophyton rubrum
Pathogenic Yeasts
1. Candida albicans- candidiasis- -
Oral thrush
- Vaginal thrush
2. Cryptococcus neoformans- cryptococcis;
also called European blastomycosis
Subcutaneous mycoses
1. Sporothrix schenckii- sporotrichosis
2. Chromomycosis – chromoblastomycosis
and verrucous dermatitis
Systemic Mycoses
- Dimorphic fungi
- All begin as lower respiratory infections
resulting from inhalation of fungal spores
- Majority of cases are undiagnosed or
asymptomatic
- A small percentage progress to seroius
systemic manifestations
1. Blastomycosis dermatitidis- North
American blastomycosis or Gilchrist’s
disease
 Pulmonary – lobar pneumonia
 Cutaneous – ulcerated granulomas- the
most common symptom of the disease
 Systemic- multiple organs may be infected;
bone invasion- arthritis and bone
destruction
2. Histoplasma capsulatum-
histoplasmosis
 Widely distributed in the soil, preferentially
in association with bird/chicken and bat
feces
 Yeasts cells from the lungs are distributed
via the blood stream
 Lung lesions may heal> fibrosis and
calcifiacation
 May coexist with tuberculosis
3. Coccidiodes imitis- cocidiomycosis
 Symptomatic pulmonary infection- ever,
chest pains, cough, anorexia and headache
 Cutaneous lesions may appear and
eventually heal; advanced lesions form
draining sinus
 Mytomycosis is any illness induced by the
consumption of food that has been made
toxic by fungal toxins.
 There are many such toxins like aflatoxin,
that may cause a wide variety of effects
including liver necrosis, hepatoma,
paralysis, blindness and death.