Eight cases of fungal infection are described in which an arthrosporic hyphomycete has been isolated from patients of Jamaican and West African origin. In most cases the organism was the only one isolated and in one case it was isolated 3 times over a 5 month period. The fungus is described as a new species ofScytalidium (S. hyalinum).Several examples of infection by fungi not previously thought of as human or animal pathogens have been reported during the past few years (4, 6, 7, 12). The recent work in the Medical Research Council Unit on the Experimental Pathology of Skin on infections by Hendersonula toruloidea has revealed 8 additional cases offungal infection from which an unknown moniliaceous hyphomycete was repeatedly isolated. The present account outlines the evidence that this fungus was actively invading the tissues and describes it as Scytalidium hyalinum sp. nov. MATERIALS AND METHODSSamples of skin and nail suspected of fungal infection were submitted to our laboratory in Birmingham, England, from several dermatology clinics in Birmingham and the West Midlands. Each specimen was examined in KOH squash preparations and cultured on (a) SAC medium (glucose-peptone agar t incorporating cyclohexamide § (0.5 mg/ml) and chloramphenicol~: (0"05 mg/ml)), and on (b) M.C. medium (malt extract agarS with chloramphenicol). Approximately 10 inocula/ specimen were seeded on to a plate of each medium and incubated at 27 °C for a minimum of 2 weeks. Assays of griseofulvin sensitivity of the isolates were performed using serial dilutions of the drug in glucose-peptone broth incubated for 10 days at 27 °C. RESULTSAll 8 patients were immigrants from tropical areas and had lived in Britain for periods of 7-20 years. Six were of Jamaican origin, 1 was from Nigeria (case 3, Table) and 1 from Sierra Leone (case 4). All except case 8 were male, their ages ranging from 32 to 60 (median 44).Four patients (cases 2, 4, 7 and 8) had been referred primarily because of symptoms of tinea pedis. The remainder were referred for other skin conditions and on examination, the dermatologist observed lesions of the toe clefts and/or nails and

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The growth of the dematiaceous hyphomycetes (darkly pigmented microfungi) Alternaria phragmospora, Alternaria chlamydospora and Ulocladium chartarum was altered by increasing concentrations of NaCl in the growth medium. U. chartarum demonstrated the greatest sensitivity to salinity changes : chlamydospora-like structures were common at NaCl concentrations > 5%. Lipid analyses of these fungi are presented. Steryl esters and fatty acids were the main lipid classes in the apolar fractions. Phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine were the main polar compounds. Most phospholipids decreased at higher salinity. The major fatty acid was oleic acid (18 : 1) which decreased at 10% NaC1. A similar pattern was observed for palmitic acid (16 : 0). Myristic acid (14 : 0) and myristoleic acids (14:2, 14:l) were detected in all isolates cultured at 10% NaCl.

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