Dermatiaceous Molds

What is common among all Dermatiaceous Molds?

Dark-colored hyphae

What are the five dermatiaceous molds?

1. Alternaria

2. Bipolaris

3. Cladosporum

4. Curvularia

5. Phialophora verrucosa

What is the clinical significance of Alternaria species?

1. Contaminant

2. Skin & nail infections

3. Sinusitis

4. Conjunctivitis

5. Hypersensitivity pneumonia

6. Skin abscess

What organism is this? Obverse or reverse?

Alternaria obverse

What organism is this? Obverse or reverse?

Alternaria reverse

What are some characteristics of the conidia in Alternaria species?

1. Transverse and longitudinal septation

2. Large and brown

3. In chains or singly

4. Club-like

What organism is this?

Alternaria species

What is the clinical significance of Bipolaris species?

1. Mycotic Keratitis

2. Pheohyphomycosis (sinusitis)

What organism is this? Obverse or reverse?

Bipolaris obverse

What organism is this? Obverse or reverse?

Bipolaris reverse

How do Bipolaris species produce conidia?

Through apical pores

What are four characteristics of Bipolaris conidia?

1. Multi-celled

2. Brown

3. Slightly protruding dark hila

4. Septa don’t intersect cell wall (peas in a pod)

What organism is this?

Bipolaris

What is the significance of Cladosporum?

Can be contaminants or pathogenic

What Cladosporum species causes brain abscesses?

C. bantianum

What Cladosporum species causes chromomycosis?

C. carrioni

What organism is this? Obverse or reverse?

Cladosporum obverse

What organism is this? Obverse or reverse?

Cladosporum reverse

How many conidial chains does Cladosporum produce?

Two or more

What are four characteristics of conidial chains in cladosporum?

1. Branching and tree-like

2. Oval

3. Easily dislodged

4. Leave dark spots when broken off (shield cell)

What species is Cladosporum sometimes confused with?

Paecilomyces

What organism is this?

Cladosporum

What is the clinical significance of curvularia?

1. Contaminant

2. Rarely infects cornea

What species is this? Obverse or reverse?

Curvularia obverse

What species is this? Obverse or reverse?

Curvularia reverse

What are three characteristics of curvularia’s macroconidia?

1. Large and dark

2. No more than four cells

3. Appear curved due to central cell swelling

What organism is this?

Curvularia

What is the clinical significance of phialophora verrucosa?

Chromoblastomycosis

How quickly does phialophora verrucosa grow?

Slowly

What organism is this? Obverse or reverse?

Phialophora verrucosa obverse

What organism is this? Obverse or reverse?

Phialophora verrucosa reverse

What do the hyphae of P. verrucosa bear?

Vase-shaped phialides that bear easily disrupted masses of oval conidia

What organism is this?

Phialophora verrucosa