Classification and Laboratory Diagnosis of Fungal Diseases

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the classification, specific fungal agents, and laboratory diagnostic methods for mycoses based on the lecture notes.

Superficial mycoses

Fungal infections involving the skin, hair, nail, and mucosa.

Subcutaneous mycoses

Mycotic infections of the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and sometimes bone, resulting from the inoculation of saprophytic fungi from soil or decaying matter.

Systemic mycoses

Deep fungal infections involving multiple internal organs, typically starting with pulmonary infection after inhalation of spores from the soil.

Opportunistic mycoses

Infections caused by fungi normally found as human commensals or environmental saprophytes that cause disease primarily in immunocompromised patients.

Microsporium

A genus of dermatophyte that invades hair and skin causes ring worm, producing reddish brown colonies on SDA.

Trichophyton

A genus of dermatophyte that invades skin, hair, and nails causes ringworm and athlete's foot, producing white or pink colonies.

Epidermophyton

A genus of dermatophyte that invades skin and nails, producing green, slightly granular colonies.

KOH Mount

A diagnostic technique where a specimen is placed in a drop of $10\%/20\%$ KOH and incubated for $20$ minutes at $37^\circ C$ to digest keratin and cellular material.

LPCB (Lactophenol Cotton Blue)

A wet mount preparation consisting of phenol (to kill organisms), lactic acid (to preserve structures), and cotton blue (to stain chitin in fungal cell walls).

PAS (Periodic Acid-Schiff)

A stain used specifically to detect fungi in tissues.

Malassezia furfur

The causative agent of the superficial mycosis Tinea versicolor.

Hortaea wemeckii

The causative agent of the superficial mycosis Tinea nigra.

Sporothrix schenckii

The fungal agent responsible for Sporotrichosis, a type of subcutaneous mycosis.

Histoplasma capsulatum

The agent responsible for Histoplasmosis, a type of systemic mycosis.

Candida albicans

A fungus that can cause subcutaneous, superficial, or opportunistic mycosis (Candidiasis).

Geotrichum

A saprophytic fungus that occasionally causes pulmonary, bronchial, or oral diseases as an opportunistic infection.

Mycotoxicoses

Diseases caused by fungi that produce toxins.

Cryptococcus neoformans

An agent of systemic and opportunistic mycoses, often diagnosed via test of C.S.F. or Blood.