Opportunistic Fungi

Question 1

Mucormycetes

Answer 1

Organisms are widely distributed in soil, dung, and vegetation
Humans become infected through inhalation of air-borne spores or through ingestion of contaminated foodstuffs.

Question 2

Lichtheimia complex (Absidia) Micro

Answer 2

Aseptate hyphae and wide
Sporangiophores arise at point on stolen that is between the rhizoids
Sporangium is pear shaped

Question 3

Mucor species Micro

Answer 3

Nonseptate, wide hyphae
Long, simple branched sporangiophores
Large, round, spore filled sporangia
NO RHIZOIDS

Question 4

Rhizopus species Micro

Answer 4

Broad hyphae with no or few septations
Numerous stolons connect long groups of unbranched sporangiophores
Rhizoids are at point where stolons and sporangiophores meet

Question 5

Rhizomucor species

Answer 5

Nonseptate, broad hyphae
Rudimentary rhizoids are few in number and located on stolons between sporangiophores

Question 6

Syncephalastrum species Micro

Answer 6

Nonseptate, broad hyphae
Demonstrates short, branched sporangiosphore with swollen tip
Chains of round spores enclosed in fingerlike tubular sporangia

Question 7

Cunninghamella species Micro

Answer 7

Broad, nonseptate hyphae
Long, branched sporangiophore ending in swollen vesicle
Vesicles are covered with spine denticles

Question 8

Circinella species Micro

Answer 8

Mycelium strongly branched, nonseptate
Sporangiophore is erect on mycelium but strongly curved at the tip where sporangium is carried

Question 9

Aspergillus fumigatus Morph

Answer 9

Granular to cottony
Smoky green, grey-green, or green-brown with white apron
Reverse: Yellow
Thermo tolerant

Question 10

Aspergillus fumigatus Micro

Answer 10

Septate hyphae
Conidiophores are long and ending in dome-shaped vesicle
Uniserate phialides which cover only upper portion of vesicle
Long chains of round to ovoid conidia

Question 11

Aspergillus niger Etiology

Answer 11

Swimmer’s ear
Fungus ball

Question 12

Aspergillus fumigatus

Answer 12

Common cause of fungus ball

Question 13

Aspergillus niger Morph

Answer 13

Jet black, powdery
Revers: Buff

Question 14

Aspergillus niger Micro

Answer 14

Septate hyphae
Long conidiophores that have spherical vesicles
Phialides that have long chains of rough, round conidia

Question 15

Aspergillus flavus Etiology

Answer 15

Sinusitis
Otitis
Invasive disease in granulopenic patients

Question 16

Aspergillus flavus Morph

Answer 16

Granular to woolly
Yellow-green or yellow-brown

Question 17

Aspergillus flavus Micro

Answer 17

Septate hyphae
Long conidiophores finely echinulated beneath vesicle
Phialides surround entire circumference of vesicle surface
Conidia are smooth, round

Question 18

Aspergillus terreus Morph

Answer 18

Powdery
Tan or Cinnamon brown
Reverse: Yellow

Question 19

Aspergillus terreus Micro

Answer 19

Small Vesicles
Phialides are biserate and cover upper portion of vesicle
Smooth, elliptical conidia form long chains

Question 20

Aspergillus versicolor

Answer 20

Procudes mycotoxins sterigmatocystin and cyclopiasonic
Toxins cause diarrhea and upset stomach, kidney and liver toxicity

Question 21

Aspergillus versicolor Morph

Answer 21

Varied in color and range from pale green, to green-beige, pinkish-green, salmon green, or dark green.
Reverse: Colorless to red

Question 22

Aspergillus versicolor Micro

Answer 22

Septate hyphae
Conidial heads are biserate and loosely radiate from conidial head
Vesicles are small
Reduced conidial structures may resemble Penicillium species

Question 23

Aspergillus clavatus Etiology

Answer 23

Seldom seen in clinical infections
Implicated in pulmonary infections, endocarditis, otomycosis, and various toxic syndroms

Question 24

Aspergillus clavatus Morph

Answer 24

Green with white border
Reverse: White to tan

Question 25

Aspergillus clavatus Micro

Answer 25

Septate hyphae Phialides are uniseriate and closely packed on surface of extremely large club-shaped vesicle Conidia are smooth, round

Question 26

Aspergillus nidulans Etiology

Answer 26

Infectionsin lung, brain, bone, eyes, nasal sinus, and skin

Question 27

Aspergillus nidulans Morph

Answer 27

Dark green or olive colony with white border Reverse: Buff, brownish orange or deep reddish purple

Question 28

Aspergillus nidulans Micro

Answer 28

Septate hyphae Conidiophores are short, smooth, and biseriate forming on upper half of vesicles Hulle cells are usually present

Question 29

Penicillium marneffei Etiology

Answer 29

Cause hematological malignancies with patients who are immunosuppressed Results in pulmonary infection Lymphatic system, liver, spleen, and bones are usually involved

Question 30

Penicillium marneffei Morph

Answer 30

Thermally dimorphic 25 C - colonies are bluiish-grey-green with white apron. Red, rapidly diffusing, soluble pigment observed 37 C - cream colored to slightly pink forming a yeast-like growth with convoluted topology

Question 31

Penicillium marneffei Micro

Answer 31

Filamentous phase - similar to other Penicillium species Yeast phase - globose to elongated sausage-shaped cells