Clinical and mycological spectra of Wangiella dermatitidis infections*

Abstract

Summary. The article reviews 37 cases of phaeohyphomycosis from the world literature up to 1992 accepted as being caused by Wangiella dermatitidis. The various clinical aspects of these infections are characterized, and the nomenclatu‐ral implications in the history of this emerging pathogen are discussed. Zusammenfassung. Der Beitrag faßt 37 Phaeo‐hyphomykose‐Kasuistiken der Weltliteratur bis 1992 zusammen, bei denen Wangiella dermatitidis als Krankheitsursache akzeptiert ist. Die verschie‐denen klinischen Aspekte dieser Infektionen werden charakterisiert, und die nomenklatori‐schen Pfade in der Geschichte dieses aufkommen‐den Erregers werden nachgezeichnet.

Chromoblastomycosis

“…During infection, cell differentiation becomes meristematic, with isodiametric swelling and cross-septation. The resulting muriform cells (166) have also been denominated "Medlar bodies" or, alternatively, "copper pennies," "chromo or fumagoid bodies," and "sclerotic or meristematic cells" (118). "Meristematic" is a botanical term for the expansion of cells, and for black fungi, it is used mostly for the description of clumpy thalli of rock-inhabiting extremophiles (167).…”

Combination of Amphotericin B and Flucytosine against Neurotropic Species of Melanized Fungi Causing Primary Cerebral Phaeohyphomycosis

“…When possible, complete surgical removal of brain lesions combined with systemic antifungal therapy is recommended (13,16). For those who are treated, mortality is lower than for those without treatment, but the prognosis continues to be poor, with a case fatality rate as high as 70% (11,(17)(18)(19).…”

Black Yeasts and Their Filamentous Relatives: Principles of Pathogenesis and Host Defense

“…However, these fungi are united on the basis of phylogenetic relationships. They belong to a limited but phylogenetically dispersed number of orders of ascomycetes (5) and show divergent adaptations to extreme conditions (6), among which are the bodies of human and animal hosts (7,8). Most clinically relevant species are located in the family Herpotrichiellaceae, within the order Chaetothyriales, in genera such as Exophiala, Cladophialophora, Coniosporium, Cyphellophora, Fonsecaea, Phialophora, and Rhinocladiella (2,4).…”

“…Most clinically relevant species are located in the family Herpotrichiellaceae, within the order Chaetothyriales, in genera such as Exophiala, Cladophialophora, Coniosporium, Cyphellophora, Fonsecaea, Phialophora, and Rhinocladiella (2,4). Numerous members of the genus Exophiala are potential agents of human and animal mycoses (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13) worldwide (14)(15)(16). In addition, during the last few decades, the list of black yeasts and their filamentous relatives implicated in human infections has continued to evolve (17,18), and it will expand further, in line with increases in the numbers of susceptible patients (19,20) and the employment of better diagnostic tools.…”