Mycology I: Opportunistic fungi Flashcards
5 groups of medically important fungi
- Yeast
- Black molds (Dematiaceous)
- Hyaline molds
- Mucorales
- Dimorphs
Cryptococcous
HIV = neoformans (avian excrement)
Normal immune systems = gattii (eucalyptus trees)
Complications of cryptococcous neoformans
Meningoencephalitis (non-inflammatory, almost no white/phagocytic cells).
Pulmonary nodules
Disseminated disease: skin, brain abscess, etc. Not a pustule like staph.
Treat cryptococcous with ___?
Amphotericin B is the KEY!!
Test for cryptococcous?
Direct cryptococcal antigen test - can get from CSF and use a dipstick
White halo with india ink
Yeast capsule prevents dye - Cryptococcous
How to differentiate neoformans from the other kinds of cryptococcous
Neoformans = grows on birdseed agar (melanin production by phenol oxidase)
Do you need to treat candida in a urine sample?
If it’s just colonization, nope.If it’s invasive it will usually be with some other ascending infection related to obstruction.
Do you need a special media to grow candida?
Nope, grows on everything
Cryptococcous virulence
Capsule inhibits phagocytosis
What explains the neurotropism of cryptococcous?
The high levels of dopamine - a substrate to make melanin
Route of entry of cryptococcous
Inhalation
CRAG
Cryptococcal antigen test - detects the capsular polysaccharide; cheap and fast
CGB agar
differentiate gattii from neoformans because gattii will turn blue on CGB agar
3 species of candida associated with majority of invasive infections
Candida albicans
Candida parapsilosis
Candida glabrata
What is Candida krusei notable for?
Fluconazole resistance
Invasive candidiasis is a disease of _____ _____
medical progress
Key feature of C. albicans
Germ-tube positive
Virulence of Candida
Normal flora… so they overgrow when the host immune system sucks.
Host risks associated with candida
- Intensive medical care (indwelling catheters)
- Immunocompromised hosts (premature infants, neutropenia)
Symptoms of clinical candidiasis
Fever +/- leukocytosis; skin papules indicate disseminated infection
3 syndromes of invasive candidiasis
- Isolated candidemia = easiest to recognize. Indwelling catheters
- Candidemia + visceral disease = eye** (endophthalmitis), kidney, brain, lung, etc
- Isolated visceral disease = no detectable bloodstream infection
Diagnosis of candida
- Direct microscopy
- Culture takes 1-5 days
- Histo but granulomatous reaction is not typical
- B-D-glucan antigen test! Present in most fungal cell walls
Is the B-D-glucan antigen test specific to candida?
Nope, but it is sensitive. Use it in high risk patients
What is 1st line tx of candida?
Echinocandins
What treats endophthalmitis?
Fluconazole