AIRBORNE CONTAMINANTS
ALTERNARIA
ASPERGILLUS
BOTYRIS
CHAETOMIUM
CEPHALOSPORIUM
CURVULARIA
FUSARIUM
CULTURE
MORPHOLOGY
Rapid-growing colonies, grayish to black to brown; underside jet black
Flat, compact colonies, white at first then becoming black, green, bluish or yellow
Soft looking tan to gray colony
Slow growing, flat, white, yellow, tan or brown colony
White to tan to rose-colroed colony, eventually developing White aerial hyphae.
Dark brown to black colony on both sides ragged in appearance.
Fast-growing colony. At first, white and cottony but develping rose to red color on both sides
MICROSCOPIC VIEW
DESCRIPTION
Large, hand grenade-shaped spores with both longitudinal and transverse cross walls. Borne singly or in chains. Septate, dematiaceous fungi.
Small one-celled spores irradiating out from swollen base (see arrows)
Colorless, one celled spores borne in clumps
Large, dark, central structure is perithecium that contains ascospores (sexually produced)
Single celled, clear, elliptical spores held together in a ball unless broken loose
Large, bent spores with 3 to 5 cells. Similar to Helminthosporium spp. Brown, septate hyphae.
Largest spores are sickle-shaped and may contain several cells. Small spores with one to two cells have more rounded ends.
AIRBORNE CONTAMINANTS
GELASINOSPORA
GEOTRICHUM
GLIOCLADIUM
HORMODENDRUM
NEUROSPORA (MONILIA)
NIGROSPORA
PAECILOMYCES
CULTURE
MORPHOLOGY
Dark colony with numerous small black dots which are perithecia (sexual organs for Ascomycetes)
White to tan, flat or fluffy, rapid-growing fungus
Flat, rapid-growing colony. White at first, then developing dark green central portion
Green to gray to black colony on both sides. Often wrinkled and grows flat
White at first but grows rapidly
filling the entire Petri dish in a few days and becoming a salmon to
brown color. Mycelium may hang from the lid of the Petri dish.
Rapid growing, producing abundant fluffly, aerial hyphae, gray to black on both sides. Resembles Mucor or Rhizopus
Flat, rapid-growing, tan-colored colony resembling Aspergillus spp.
MICROSCOPIC VIEW
DESCRIPTION
Squashed perithecium
showing many asci, each
containing 8 sexually produced ascospores
Note hyphae breaking into arthrospores. May be confused with Coccidioides immitis.
Numerous small spores held together in a clump. Similar to Penicillium spp. Except for the clumping of spores.
Dark brown septate hyphae bear branching chains of elongate to ovate spores that often contain a small black dot at the end. Spore bearing structures look tree-like
Clear septate hyphae with large masses of ovate spores which are air-dispersed
Large, clearly visible jet black spores.
Similar to Penicillium spp. except small spores are produced on very long, slender structures
SUPERFICIAL
Dermatophytoses – dermatophytes
Genus Microsporum
Genus Epidermophyton
Genus Trichophyton
Pityriasis Versicolor – Malazzezia furfur
Tinia nigra – Cladosporium werneckii
Piedra
white – Trichosporum(beigelli) cutaneum
black – Piedraia hortai
Otomycosis
Aspergillus
Mucor
Penicillium
Rhizopus
Keratitis
Fusarium
Aspergillus
Curvularia
Penicillium
Cephalosporium
Candida species
AIRBORNE CONTAMINANTS
PENICILLIUM
PULLULARIA (Aureobasidium)
RHODOTORULA
RHIZOPUS
SACCHAROMYCES
SCOPULARIOPSIS
SEPEDONIUM
CULTURE
MORPHOLOGY
White colony at first but developing blue to green color
Brown to black, flat, greasy-looking colonies
A pale yellow to vivid orange yeast
Gray to brown to black colony filling a Petri dish in 2 to 3 days. Similar to Mucor spp.
White to tan yeast colonies
Powdery, light brown, wrinkled colony resembling Penicillium spp. Except for color.
Fluffy, white colony resembles Histoplasma capsulatum
MICROSCOPIC VIEW
DESCRIPTION
Small, round spores borne in “brush-like” formations
Mixture of dark, thick-walled, large hyphal cells and clear spores which seem to be budding
Long, slender yeast cells, usually budding, but may appear to form pseudohyphae.
Similar to Mucor spp. except foot-like structures (rhizoids) at base of
spore bearing hyphae (see arrows). Spores in sporangium clear,
coenocytic hyphae
Typical yeast cells that reproduce by budding.
Resembles Penicillium spp. except spores are larger and form unbranched-chains
Large, rough-walled spores that resembles Histoplasma capsulatum
AIRBORNE CONTAMINANTS
SPOROBOLOMYCES
STEMPHYLUM
STREPTOMYCES
SYNCEPHALASTRUM
VERTICILLIUM
CULTURE
MORPHOLOGY
A light tan yeast colony
Brown to black, wrinkled fuzzy colony
Dry, flat, leathery colony grows close to the medium
Gray to brown to black fluffy colony that may fill a Petri dish in a few days. Similar to Mucor and Rhizopus spp
Powdery to pinkish brown colony that looks similar to Penicillium spp.
MICROSCOPIC VIEW
DESCRIPTION
Yeast cells that may form long slender tubes. Reproduces by budding
Hyphae are brown and strongly septate: huge multicelled terminal spores that may either be smooth or rough
Very fine (1um) branching hyphae that readily break apart
Broad, clear, nonseptate hyphae, spores in many slender sac-like structures (sporangia) adhere to a swelling on the terminal end of hypha.
Single-celled elliptical spores borne in clusters that are arranged in whorls
DERMATOPHYTES
MICROSPORUM AUDOUINII
MICROSPORUM CANIS
MICROSPORUM DISTORTUM
MICROSPORUM FERRUGINEUM
MICROSPORUM GYPSEUM
MICROSPORUM NANUM
MICROSPORUM VANBREUSEGHEMII
CULTURE
MORPHOLOGY
Cultured on Sabouraud plus 2 antibiotics at room temp. for 2-3
weeks. Fluffy white colony with slight yellow underside
Cultured on Sabouraud medium plus 2 antibiotics at room temp. for
1-2 weeks. White on top with bright yellow underside.
Culture on Sabouraud medium plus 2 antibiotcs at room temperature for
3 weeks. Similar to Microsporum canis but with less pigmentation.
Cultured on Sabouraud medium plus 2 antibiotics for 3 weeks at
room temp. White to intense orange yellow strains; often sectors
Cultured on Sabouraud medium plus 2 antibiotics for 5-10 days at
room temp. Grows rapidly, producing a cinnamon to brown colored flat colony.
Cultured on Sabouraud medium plus 2 antibiotics at room temp. for
1-3 weeks. White to buff surface: bottom often yellow red brown.
Cultured on Sabouraud medium plus 2 antibiotics for 1-2 weeks at
room temp. Cottony white surface, may develop pink to tan coloration; bottom often colorless to yellow.
MICROSCOPIC VIEW
DESCRIPTION
No distinguishing spores will not
grow on rice
Highly diagnostic large, thick-
walled, rough spores containing more than 6 septa.
Large spores similar to
Microsporum canis but distorted and bent in shape.
No distinguishing spores.
Prominent septa, giving term “bamboo hyphae”.
Numerous, characteristic, Large
spore; thin-walled, pointed ends with 2-5 septa.
Egg-shaped, thin- walled; large
spores with 1-3 septa
Huge, long, thick rough- walled
spores with more than 8 septa.
DERMATOPHYTES
TRICHOPHYTON VIOLACEUM
TRICHOPHYTON CONCENTRICUM
TRICHOPHYTON EQUINUM
TRICHOPHYTON MENTAGRPPHYTES
TRICHOPHYTON RUBRUM TRICHOPHYTON SCHOENLEINII
TRICHOPHYTON TONSURANS
CULTURE
MORPHOLOGY
Cultured on Sabouraud medium plus 2 antibiotics for 3-5 weeks at room temp. Primarily wrinkle, flat, heaped up colony with intense red-purple pigmentation. Improved growth with thiamine.
Cultured on Sabouraud medium plus two antibiotics at room temperature for 1 to 3 weeks. White to orange to brown colony with many wrinkles
Cultured on Sabouraud medium plust 2 antibiotics at room temperature for 2 weeks. White, fluffy surface with yellow under side: red, orange and brown colors may develop with age
Cultured on Sabouraud medium plus two antibiotics for 2 to 3 weeks at room temperature. Usually white fluffy on top with yellow on bottom; many cultural variations; some producing brown or red pigmentation on bottom
Cultured on Sabouraud medium plus 2 antibiotics for 3 weeks at room temperature. Usually fluffy white with red underside. Some strains look granular on the surface
Cultured on Sabouraud medium plus two antibiotics for 3 to 4 weeks at room temperature. Off white, waxy to smooth surface with many wrinkles. Often grows deep into medium, splitting agar.
Cultured on Sabouraud medium plus 2 antibiotics to 3 weeks at room temperature. Powdery red to yellow to brown on surface, wrinkled colony undersurface, may be reddish brown. Yellow variant exists
MICROSCOPIC VIEW
DESCRIPTION
Few characteristic features. Rarely see spores. Branched, tangled hyphae.
Few characteristic features. Spores among the tangled hyphae: many stimulated by thiamine.
Small pear-shaped to spherical spores. Large spores rarely seen
Numerous, small, spherical spores formed in grapelike clusters: club shaped large spores are rare. Often confused with Trichophyton rubrum penetrates hair in vitro
No large spores. Small spores are spherical to elongate, may be produced directly on hyphae. Similar to Trichophyton metagrophytes but does not penetrate hair in vitro.
Few characteristic features. Rarely spores. Grows in the absence of thiamine
Many small club-shaped spores, often enlarging to resemble small balloons. Improved growth with thiamine.
SUBCUTANEOUS
Sporotrichosis – Sporothrix schenckii
Chromomycosis or Chromoblastomycosis
Phialophora verrucosa
Fonsecae pedrosoi
Cladosporium carrioni
Mycetoma or Maduromycosis
Actinomycotic
Actinomadurae
Nocardia
Streptomyces
Eumycotic(true fungi)
Allescheria(or Petriellidium)
Madurella
Phialophora
Entomopthoromycosis
Basidiobolus ranarum
Conidiobolus coronatus
Lobomycosis – Lacazia loboi(Loboa loboi)
Rhinosporidiosis – Rhinosporidium seeberi
Phaeohypomycosis
Wangiella spp
Exophialia spp
Cladosporium spp.
Hormodendrum spp.
Dreschlera spp.
SUBCUTANEOUS SPOROTHRIX SCHENCKII
(Room Temp) SPOROTHRIX SCHENCKII (37 C cultures)
FONSECAEA PEDROSOI
FONSECAE COMPACTA
PHIALOPHORA VERRUCOSA
CLADOSPORIM CARRIONI
BASIDIOBOLUS RANARUM
CULTURE
MORPHOLOGY
Dark, greasy-looking culture after 1 to 2 weeks incubation on Sabouraud medium
White to tan yeast colonies after 1 to 3 weeks incubation on brain heart infusion agar.
Surface is dark green, gray or
black, covered by silvery, velvet-like mycelium. It is usually flat,
then develops a cone shaped protrusion in the center. Reverse is
black.
Surface is dark green to black. The colonies are heaped, brittle with irregular indented borders. There are brownish hyphae on the surface
Surface is dark greenish, brown to
black with a close matlike, olive to gray mycelium. Some strains are
heaped, granular or flat with a matted appearance. Reverse is
black.
The colony has a dark surface, flat
with slightly raised center. It is covered with velvety dull gray,
gray green or purplish brown, short napped mycelium. Reverse is
black.
Colonies are flat, yellowish gray to creamy gray, glabrous becoming radially folded and covered by a fine powder, white surface mycelium
MICROSCOPIC VIEW
DESCRIPTION
Clear, septate hyphae with spores (3 to 6 um) in “daisy-like” clusters
Round, oval, or “cigar-shaped” yeast cells, 1 to 3 um x 4to 10 um
The hyphae is septate, branched and brown. The conidia is dark measuring 1.5-3.0 x 2.5-6.0 um.
Hyphae is septate, brown,
branching and bear Cladosporium of conidiophores. Outstanding features are flasklike shape conidia
and compact arrangement of conidial chain.
The hyphae is brown, branched
and septate with vase-shaped Phialophora type conidiophores. The conidiophores are single or
multiple, lateral or terminal and bear easily disrupted masses of
oval conidia
The hyphae is septate, dark with
lateral and terminal conidiophores of varying size. conidiophores produce long branching chains of
brown, smooth walled, oval, pointed conidia which have dark
scars of attachment
There is the presence of large vegetative hyphae forming numerous round, smooth, thick walled zygospores with two closely appressed beaklike appendages
DERMATOPHYTES
TRICHOSPORON BEIGELII (room temperature cultures)
EPIDERMOPHYTON FLOCCOSUM
MALASSEZIA FURFUR
PIEDRAIA HORTAI (room temp cultures)
CULTURE
MORPHOLOGY
The colonies are smooth to slightly wrinkled (not fuzzy) and white to tan in color
Cultured on Sabouraud
medium on 2 antibiotics for 1-3 weeks at room temp. Yellow to green colored surface; green to brown underside.
Colonies in Dixon’s agar are
cream to yellowish, smooth or lightly wrinkled, glistening or
dull, with the margin being either entire or lobate
The colonies are dark brown
and may have a metallic green tinge. They are very compact,
have a raised center and are slightly fuzzy.
MICROSCOPIC VIEW
DESCRIPTION
One observes clear septate hyphae which may break up
into individual cells.
Large, club-shaped spores with 2 to 5 septa, often form in pairs.
10% KOH with Parker ink mount showing characteristic
spherical yeast cells and short pseudohyphal elements typical
of the lungs
One observes dematiaceous hyphae containing numerous septa
PIT
YRIA
SIS
VER
SIC
OLO
R
PIE
DR
A
SUBCUTANEOUS N BRASILIENSIS (TOP)/ N MADUARAE(BOTTOM)-RT
EXOPHIALA (WANGIELLA) DERMATITIDIS
CONIDIOBLOUS CORONATUS (25-30 C)
EXOPHIALA JEANSELMEI
PSEUDOALLESCHERICHIA BOYDII (SEXUAL)
CULTURE
The colonies have a cottony surface that is white to gray-brown in color and gets darker with age of the culture. The reverse is also white turning brown with age.
GRAPHIUM, asexual state of P. BOYDII (sexual state). The coremia or Synnemata(conidial structures) of the Graphium state of P.boydii have terminal hyaline
conidia, club-shaped or cylindrical, approximately 6 x 3 um. In the sexual state(P.boydii), large, 50-200 um in diameter, round, brown cleistothecia are found
containing ascospores
SCEDOSPORIUM APIOSPERMUM (ASEXUAL STATE OF BOYDII) The Scedosporium type of
conidia of P. boydii may rise directly from the septate hyphae or from the tip of conidiophores, appear truncated at the base, and sometimes resemble the conidia of
Blastomyces dermatitidis. The hyphae are long and slender, branch at acute angles and thus may resemble aspergilli.
MORPHOLOGY
Slow growing, dry-appearing colonies on Sabouraud medium. Morphology varies between etiologic agents. Use biochemical tests.
Colonies are slow growing, initially black and yeast-like, becoming suede-like, ovilaceous grey and mould like age.
Colonies are flat, cream-colored, glabrous becoming radially folded and covered by fine powdery white surface mycelium and conidiophores.
The colonies are brown or green-black, moist and glistening. With age they become covered with velvety grayish hyphae. The reverse is black
MICROSCOPIC VIEW
DESCRIPTION
Variations in acid fastness
help to determine between some etiologic agents. Delicate hyphae, 1 um. All
are members of the Actinomycetes.
Recommended room temperature incubation,
although morphology is similar at both temp
In new culture, oval and round budding yeast-like cells are formed. Subsequently these cells produce septate hyphae with flask-shaped to cylindrical phialides found
at the tip of the phialide and also along d hyphae.
The hyphae have few septa. The conidiophores are unbranched forming solitary terminal conidia. The conidia are spherical, single-celled and have a prominent papilla. It may also produce hair-like appendages called villae.
The conidiophores are
elongated, tubular and with a tapered, narrow end. Conidia are smooth, thin-
walled, and ellipsoid and can gather in clusters
around the conidiophores and at points along the
septate hyphae
RHINOSPOR This organism has never been cultured; its existence as a water saprophyte or fish pathogen is suspected IDIUM SEEBERI (RT AND 37 C)
DEEP SEATED
Histoplasmosis –
Histoplasma capsulatum
Coccidioidomycosis – Coccidioides immitis
South American Blastomycosis – Paracoccidioides brasiliensis
North American Blastomycosis – Blastomycosis dermatitidis
DEEP SEATED HISTOPLASMA CAPSULATUM ROOM TEMP 37 C
COCCIDIODES IMMITIS
PARACOCCIDIOIDES BRAZILIENSIS RT 37 C
CULTURE
MORPHOLOGY
Whtie, innocent looking (but dangerous) colony after 1-3 weeks incubation on Saboraud medium. Note color of underside
White to tan yeast colony after 1 to 3 weeks incubation on brain heart infusion agar.
Innocent looking, but dangerous white fluffy colony on Sabouraud medium after 1 to 3 weeks incubation. Underside may develop darker color
White, slow growing, nondescript colony on Sabouraud medium after 2 to 4 weeks incubation
Rough, dry yeast colonies after 2
to 4 weeks incubation on brain
heart infusion agar
MICROSCOPIC VIEW
DESCRIPTION
Characteristic large tuberculated macroconidia (10-20 um) and occasional smaller, infectious microconidia
Numerous, small (2 to 4 um), oval, or round, budding yeast cells
Hyphae forming characteristic arthrospores 4 x 8 um Grows sparsely at37, same morphology at 37 and RT
Fine, septae, clear hyphae lacking spores
Large yeast cells (10 to 60 um)
with numerous, small buds 2 to 5
um
DEEP SEATED BLASTOMYCES DERMATITIDIS
RT 37 C OPPORTUNISTIC
Candidiasis –
Candida albicans
Cryptococcosis –
Cryptococcus neoformans
Aspergillosis –
Aspergillus fumigatus
Zygomycosis
(Mucormycosis) Phycomycosis Rhizopus
Mucor
Absidia Basidiobolus
Conidiobolus
Geotrichosis – Geotrichum
candidum
Penicillosis –
Penicilium spp.
CANDIDA ALBICANS RT AND 37 C
CRYPTOCOCCUS NEOFORMANS
ASPERGILLUS SP RT / 37 C
RHIZOPUS
CULTURE
MORPHOLOGY
Colony after 1 to 3 weeks incubation on Sabouraud medium. White colony, brown to tan underside
Rough, dry, heaped-up yeast colony after 1 to 3 weeks incubation on brain heart infusion agar
White colonies incubated on Sabouraud medium for 5 to 7 days
Off white, mucous colonies on Sabouraud medium after 5 to 10 days
Upper left: green colony after 5 to 10 days on Sabouraud medium. Colorless underside
All etiologic agents rapidly fill Petri dish after 2 to 4 days incubation. Becomes tan or gray
MICROSCOPIC VIEW
DESCRIPTION
Delicate, septate hyphae bearing oval to pyriform spores, 4 to 8 um
Yeast cells, 10 to 15 um. Note broad-based budding
Chlamydospore agar, 1 to 2 days incubationl Note yeast cells, pseudohyphae and chlamydospores
India ink preparation showing numerous heavily encapsulated yeast cells
Typical Usually cultured at room temperature. Some species grow at 37 C and have morphology similar to that or organisms grown at room temperature
Characteristic features – sporangium, coenocytic hyphae and rootlike structures
Usually cultured at RT. Some species grow at 37 C and have morphology similar to that of organisms grown at RT
Usually cultured at 37 C to inhibit contaminants
Optimal incubation temp is 30 C. morphologically similar at any temp
OPPORTUNISTIC BASIDIOBOLUS RANARUM
CONIDIOBLOUS CORONATUS (25-30 C)
GEOTRICHUM
PENICILLIUM
CULTURE
MORPHOLOGY
Colonies are flat, yellowish gray to creamy gray, glabrous becoming radially folded and covered by a fine powder, white surface mycelium
Colonies are flat, cream-colored, glabrous becoming radially folded and covered by fine powdery white surface mycelium and conidiophores.
White to tan, flat or fluffy, rapid-growing fungus
White colony at first but developing blue to green color
MICROSCOPIC VIEW
DESCRIPTION
There is the presence of large vegetative hyphae forming numerous round, smooth, thick walled zygospores with two closely appressed beaklike appendages
The hyphae have few septa. The conidiophores are unbranched forming solitary terminal conidia. The conidia are spherical, single-celled and have a prominent papilla. It may also produce hair-like appendages called villae.
Note hyphae breaking into arthrospores. May be confused with Coccidioides immitis.
Small, round spores borne in “brush-like” formations