Classification of fungi based on

diseases

Unit-1
 Classification of fungi based on diseases

Fungal diseases are knows as mycoses

It is classified into 4 groups according to the

route/site of infection:

1. Superficial mycoses (Dermatomycosis)

2. Cutaneous mycoses
3. Subcutaneous mycoses
4. Systematic (Deep) mycoses
Superficial, cutaneous and subcutanous mycoses
directed contact infection of skin, hair, and nails

Systemic mycoses are fungal infection that have

disseminated to visceral tissue

Systemic mycoses cause by inhalation of spores from

soil, an infection being as a lung lesion, become chronic
and spread through the blood stream to other organs
1. Superficial mycosis
It is fungal infections occur on outer surface of superficial
layer of the skin, hair, and nail that invade only the stratum
corneum
it also know as Dermatomycosis
• It mainly caused by 20 species of fungi which are
grouped in 3 genera,
• Microsporum
• Tricophyton
• Epidermophyton.
Infection on the hair shaft is collectively know as Piedras

Black piedra caused by Piedraia hortae

It forms hard, black noduals on the hairs of the scalp

White piedra caused by Trichosporon beigelii

It forms light color nodules on the hair, beard,

mustache
Tineas versicolor caused by Malassezia furfur

It forms brownish red scales on the skin of the

trunk, neck, face and arms

Tinea nigra caused by Hortaea werneckii

It forms gray to black macular lesion on palms.

2. Cutaneous mycoses

It is affect the keratinized layers of the skin and its

appendages (nail, hair).
It does not affect the living tissues.
These infections are mainly caused by dermatophytes
and yeasts
It also know as dermatomycoss, ringworm or tineas
Ringworm – Skin lesions characterized by red margins,
scales and itching:
Classified based on location of infection

Tinea pedis – Caused by Trichophyton rubrum and T.

mentagrophtes- It also knows as athlete’s foot

Infection occurs on the feet or between the toes and
hands
Symptoms vary from scale to pimple like eruption and
frequently inching occur
It most found in adults and increase in frequency with
age
Tinea capitis caused by Trichophyton or Microsporum spp
Infection on hair scalp characterized by hair loss,
inflammation,
It is animal fungus transmitted person to person
Tinea corporis –Caused by Trichophyton rubrum and T. mentagrophtes
it is dermtophyic infection that occurs on any part of the skin
It form circular, red well demarcated scaly, lesion accompanied itching
Tinea unguium - Caused by Trichophyton rubrum and T.
mentagrophtes
Invasion of nail plate by dermatophytes

White or yellow nail discoloration,

thickening & separation of the nail
from the nail bed & brittle

Onychomycosis- non dermatophyte

Tinea Barbae – Caused by T. mentagrophytes, T, rubrum,
T, verrucosum
Infection on beard hair, mostly disease of men who live
in rural areas and acquired from fungal animal
1.Infection on the hair shaft is collectively know as Piedras –
Black piedra caused by Piedraia hortae
It forms hard, black noduals on the hairs of the scalp
White piedra caused by Trichosporon beigelii
It forms light color nodules on the beard and mustaches
Tineas versicolor caused by Malassezia furfur
It forms browish red scales on the skin of the trunk, neck,
face and arms

• Tinea nigra – brown or black superficial skin lesions

(Phaeoannellomyces werneckii)

• Tinea capitis – folliculitis on the scalp and eyebrows

 3. Subcutaneous mycoses

 It infect the underneath the skin cause mycoses

 It caused by saprophytic fungi inhabitants of soil
and decaying vegetation
 They are unable to penetrate the skin, introduced
into the skin through a small wound that allows
entry into subcutaneous tissues
 It produces the nodules and organism spread along
lymphatic channels, producing more nodules
Chromoblastomycosis- Caused by black mold
Phialophora verrucose and Fonsecaes pedrosoi
Most infection involves the legs and feet, formed dark
brown nodules
Sporotrichosis – caused by Sporothrix schenckii
It found in mostly in soil, on living plants and in plant
debris
It formed small ulcer on the hands, it enter in the
lymphatic system in the area and form lesions
It treated by ingestion of potassium iodide or itraconazole
 Systematic (Deep) mycoses

 Can spread to the skin

 It caused the infection to internal organ of
body like lungs, skin, bones, central nervous
system
Primary systemic fungal pathogens:
- Coccidioides immitis,
- Histoplasma capsulatum,
- Blastomyces dermatitidis,
- Paracoccidioides brasiliensis
• Coccidioides immitis - Leads to fever, erythremia, and

bronchial pneumonia, Some cases are fatal

Histoplasmosis – caused by Histoplasm capsulatum

• Often associated with immunodeficiency
• Causes the formation of granulomas
• Can necrotize and become calcified
• If disseminated, histoplasmosis can be fatal
Opportunistic fungal pathogens:
 This fungi have a very low inherent virulence.
 The increased incidence of these infections and the
diversity of fungi causing them, has parallelled the
emergence of AIDS, more aggressive cancer and post-
transplantation chemotherapy

- Cryptococcus neoformans,
- Candida spp., Aspergillus spp.,
- Penicillium marneffei,
- Zygomycetes,
- Trichosporon beigelii,
- Fusarium spp
Figure : superficial, cutaneous, and subcutaneous mycoses
Figure : superficial, cutaneous, and subcutaneous mycoses
Method of collection of samples