Penicillium genus Flashcards
What is the species of pathogenic Penicillium?
Penicillium marneffei
Morphology of P. m.
Penicillium marneffei is a dimorphic fungus.
Mold in cold, which produces a Red Soluble pigment that will color the agar.
Yeast in heat, dividing by fission with transverse septa.
Is Intracellular in vivo.
Infection and transmission.
It is mostly in Southeast Asia, and only affects immunocompromised, primarily HIV patients.
transmitted by inhalation of conidia from environment.
Clinical disease
Penicilliosis, a disseminated infection.
Fever, cough
Pulmonary infiltrates on x ray
Lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly
Pancytopenia and lesions on the face and trunk occur when it has dessiminated hematogenously.
Diagnosis
BAL, bronchialviolar lavage
Blood sample
Culturing from sputum, blood, marrow.
showing the red pigmentation.
Treatment
Amphotericin B
with flucytosine
Lifelong maintenance therapy with itraconazole for AIDS patients to prevent relapse.
