Abstract
Black yeast-like fungi are rarely reported from superficial infections. We noticed a consistent prevalence of these organisms as single isolations from mycological routine specimens. To investigate the prevalence of black yeast-like fungi in skin, hair and nail specimens and to discuss the probability of these species to be involved in disease. Slow-growing black yeast-like fungi in routine specimens were prospectively collected and identified. A questionnaire regarding patient information was sent to physicians regarding black yeast-like fungus positive patients. A total of 20,746 dermatological specimens were examined by culture. Black yeast-like fungi accounted for 2.2% (n=108) of the positive cultures. Only 31.0% of the samples, culture positive for black yeast-like fungi were direct microscopy positive when compared with overall 68.8% of the culture positive specimens. The most prevalent species were Phialophora europaea (n=29), Coniosporium epidermidis (n=12), Ochroconis cf. humicola (n=6) and Cladophialophora boppii (n=4). These are not common saprobes and thus less likely to be coincidental colonizers. In 10/30 cases, discolouration of nail/skin had been noticed. A limited number of black yeast-like fungi were repeatedly isolated from routine specimens suggesting that they may play a role in superficial infections or as colonizers.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Mycoses |
| Volume | 55 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Pages (from-to) | 161-7 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| ISSN | 0933-7407 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2012 |
Keywords
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Ascomycota/genetics
- Child
- Child, Preschool
- Female
- Foot Dermatoses/epidemiology
- Hand Dermatoses/epidemiology
- Humans
- Infant
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Mitosporic Fungi/genetics
- Mycological Typing Techniques
- Nails/microbiology
- Onychomycosis/epidemiology
- Skin/microbiology
- Surveys and Questionnaires
- Yeasts/genetics