A 62-year-old male with a 20-year history of diabetes and three-year history of adult T-cell lymphocytic leukemia developed a systemic infection with Dactylaria gallopava. At autopsy the fungus was found in the brain, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidney. The organism has caused disease in chickens and turkey poults and has been found in chicken litter, hot springs, and the effluent of a thermonuclear reactor. This report documents the second human infection and the first case of disseminated human dactylariosis.
Cultures of Blastomyces dermatitidis, Coccidioides immitis, and Histoplasma capsulatum were inoculated with each of five saprophytes to simulate contaminated cultures. The cultures were extracted and tested in the immunodiffusion exoantigen test. Twenty-nine of 30 cultures were correctly identified. The saprophytes did not appear to interfere with the exoantigen test.
An unusual variant of Histoplasma capsulatum was isolated from a canebrake. The mycelial form produced a red pigment that diffused into the medium and which was also present in the cell walls of the mycelium, microconidia and macroconidia. The yeast cells were not pigmented nor did they produce any pigment.Pigment production is a characteristic of many fungi and frequently occurs in saphrophytes. Pigmented molds that cause systemic disease are uncommon but certain pathogenic molds produce a pigment specific for the species. Red pigments are usually developed by several dermatophytes and Penicillium marneffei. The range in colonial variation of Histoplasma capsulatum is limited. The mold form colony is typically described as white and cottony that becomes light tan to brown with age.As a result of an outbreak of histoplasmosis in South Carolina in 1968 that followed clearing of a canebrake, it has been a routine procedure to examine such sites for the presence of H. capsulatum [3]. In 1983, 21 soil samples from a canebrake in Abbeville County, S.C. were examined. The number of samples collected were in accordance with the formula recommended by Ajello & Weeks [1]. Each sample was shaken in physiological saline (containing penicillin, 1000 U. ml -~ and streptomycin 1/~g ml -~) for 30 s then allowed to settle for 45 rain. Five mice were each inoculated intravenously with 0.5 ml of the supernatant. Four weeks later portions of their lungs, liver and spleen were inoculated on Sabouraud agar (containing glucose 10 g 1-t, chloramphenicol 50 mg 1-1 and cycloheximide 500 mg 1-1) and incubated at 25°C for up to 8 weeks.Fourteen of the 21 soil samples yielded H. capsulatum. One of the isolates had the typical gross colonial morphology of H. capsulatum but 13 were red-pigmented. Their initial growth was dark wine-red and glabrous which later became pink and cottony.
Epidermophyton floccosum was isolated from a lesion of dermatophytosis on a dog with hyperadrenocorticism. This report is, to our knowledge, the first unequivocally documented case of canine infection in the United States. Case reportAn 8-year-old female Dachshund presented with a 5 cm circinate lesion of alopecia and peripheral scaling on the left hip. Skin scrapings and hair were collected for fungal studies. At this time, the animal had clinical signs suggestive of hyperadrenocorticism (obesity, pendulous abdomen and thin abdominal skin with prominent vessels). There was a history of polyuria, polydypsia and weight gain while on a diet. Hematology and clinical chemistry results are shown in Table 1. Diagnosis of hyperadrenocorticism was confirmed by dexamethasone suppression and ACTH response test (Table 1). Four months after the initial visit, the animal developed diabetes mellitus and died of complications from hypoglycemia 3 months later.Skin and hair were submitted to the Clemson University Livestock-Poultry Health Division Laboratory for fungal studies. Subsequently, a 19-day-old mold isolate was referred to this laboratory for identification. The referred culture was examined grossly and microscopically and was identified as Epidermophytonfloccosum. Because of the rare occurrence of this dermatophyte in animals, a second specimen was collected. This was examined in mounts of 10% KOH and was stained by the Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) method.Direct examination of the KOH mounts and PAS stain revealed branching septate hyphae in the skin. There was no evidence of fungal elements in the hairs. The specimen was cultured on Sabouraud's dextrose agar containing thiamine and Sabouraud's dextrose agar with chloramphenicol and cycloheximide and incubated at 250C. Isolates were obtained on both media.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.