Mycology

Def:it is the science which deal with fungi most

of them are saprophytes and few species cause
disease in man & animals.
Morphological classification:
1-yeast:oval or rounded cells reproduce by
budding as cryptococcus neoformas.
2-yeast like fungi:ovoid cells with non branching
filaments(pseudohyphae) extending from the
cells and reproduce by budding as candida
albicans.
2-filamentous fungi (mould ):branching filaments
(hyphae) that interlace & form a tangled mass
(mycelium), reproduce by asexual spore
(conidia) as aspergillus , mucor,dermatophytes
(microsporum ,tricophyton epidermatophyton)
 :dimorphic fungi-3
Occur in two forms yeast form in tissues at
37c &filaentmous form at 22c as
histoplasma, blastomyces, coccidioides.
Clinical classification:
1-superficial mycosis:confined to stratum
cornum without tissue invasion e.g. tinea
versicolor caused by Malassezia furfur
2-cutanous mycosis:involve skin, nail or hair
with tissue destruction e.g. dermatophytes
and cutaneous candidiasis
sub cutanous mycosis:confined to sub-3
cutanous tissue without dissmenation to
distant sites e.g. mycetoma(Madura foot)
systemic (endemic) mycoses:primary-4
pulmonary lesions that may disseminate to
any organ mainly in immunocompromised
patients.they are caused by dimorphic
.fungi
Opportunistic mycoses: e.g.systemic-5 

.candidiasis, aspergillosis
 Superficial mycoses
tinea versicolor(pityriasis versicolor
Causeed by:Malassezia furfur
It is superficial skin infection of the stratum
corneum
Characterized by superficial brown scaly areas on
light skinned persons and depigmented areas on
.dark skinned persons
Diagnosis: by KOHpreparations of skin scales show
short septate hyphae& clusters of budding yeast
.cells
 Cutaneous mycoses
Dermatophytes
Inciude 3 genera :
.(Microsporum,Epidermophyton, Tricophyton)
These organisms affect keratinized tissues
.As skin, hair and nails
they spread peripheraly from foci to produce
ring-like lesions so the name ring worm
.infection or tinea
.No deep tissue invasion
 Source of infection: man to man by direct
contact, from the animals or from the soil.
 Heat & humidity enhance the infection.
 The name of the disease according to the site
affected e.g. tinea capitis in the head
 Tinea cruris in the groin
 Tinea corporis in the soft skin
 Tinea unguinum in the nail
 Tinea pedis in between the finger
 Diagnosis of ring worm
 1-samples: scraping of affected skin,
nails& parts of affected hair
 samples are put on a slide & a drop of 10-
20% KOH is added to digest keratin,
acover slip is applied& microscopic
examination done
 2-By Gram stain: branching hyphae with
intermingled filaments detected among
epithelial cells
In case of hair samples:hyphae or spores detected
the spores may be arranged outside the hair
shaft(ectothrix) or arranged inside the hair shaft
(endothrix)
3-culture: on Sabouraud’s dextrose agar(SDA)
contain actidione to inhibit saprophytes
&chloramphenicol to inhibit bacteria & incubated
at room temperature for up to 4 weeks. Colonies
are identified by morphology & colour on the
media which is fluffy, cottony and wooly with
velvety appearance.
 (SDA):
 Type: ordinary media
 Compositon: glucose 20%- peptone 10%-
agar 30%- water – antibiotics(penicillin,
streptomycin, chloramphenicol)
 Sterlization: by tyndalization
 Subcutaneous mycoses: as madura foot
 Systemic mycoses:
 E.g. Histoplasmosis caused by Histopasma
capsulatum.
 The infection occur in the lung as acute
pneumonia or as chronic cavitary lesions.
 It may spread to spleen & liver causing
lymphadenopathy or hepato-splenomegaly
 Diagnosis:
 By skin test using fungal antigen called
histoplasmin test
 Candida Albicans
(Monilia)
 It is oval budding yeast cell with pseudohyphae.
 It is normal commensal in the mouth, vagina
and intestine.
 It predominates & cause superinfection when
body resistance is lowered e.g.debilitating
diseases & prolonged use of antibiotics.
 It cause oral or vaginal thrush or diarrhoea in
debilitated on antibiotic treatment.
 Systemic candidiasis occur when body
resistance is severly lowered
 diagnosis:
 1-samples according to site of infection
e.g.mouth, vagina …
 2-staining with Gram stain show large
G+ve budding yeast cells with
pseudohyphae
Film from culture stained Film from culture
by methylene blue stained by Gram
showing---- yeast stain showing-----
.cells.Note the budding yeast cells .Note the
budding.
 3-culture: on blood agar or (SDA) and add
to it actidione(to inhibit sabrophytes)
&chloramphenicol(to inhibit bacteria)…..
 Show large white creamy(pasty like)
colonies after 2-3 dayes incubated at room
temperature, from these colonies we do:
 A)Gram’s stained film
 B)Germ tube test (confirmatory test)
 Light inoculum from the colony +.5 ml
human or animal serum incubated at 37c
for 1-2 hrs on microscopic examination
show pseudogerm tube extending from
yeast cells(drum stick appearance if the
organism is C.albicans).
 C)Chlamydospore production: by growing
the test organism on corn- meal agar
d)Biochemical reactions: used for species
differentiation.
Sugar assimilation
C.Albicans ferment glucose and maltose with
production of acid and gas
 Cryptococcus Neoformans
 They are yeast cells with a gelatinous
capsule.
 They are found in the excreta of the
birds.
 It is opportunistic pathogen affect
immunosuppressed.
 Infection occur by inhalation lead to
subclinical lung infection.
 It may spread systemically to the
meninges causing subacute or chronic
meningitis and may affect skin and other
organs.
 Diagnosis:
 1-direct microscopic examination of the
sample e.g. csf after staining with india
ink,show gelatinous capsule around
budding yeast cells
 2-cultures are done on (SDA) without
actidione and incubated at 20-370c…
mucoid colonies
 3-biochemical reaction: urease +ve
 4-by DNA propes
 5-Direct detection of capsular antigen by
latex agglutination test.
 6- detection of antibodies in patient’s
serum
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