The Dermatophytes

Abstract

Summary. The dermatophytes are a group of fungi which parasitise animals by invading the keratinised portions of the epidermis. They appear to be unable to attack internal organs and are apparently dermatotropic. Ringworm in its various forms is a primary localised dermatophyte infection. The concept of the activity of the dermatophytes has been enlarged by the recognition that they can also determine secondary non‐parasitic skin lesions on distant parts of the body. Several records of isolations of these fungi from the blood indicate that spores may be carried from the primary lesion to other parts of the body by means of the blood stream. Hairs infected by certain species of dermatophytes show a green fluorescence in ultra‐violet light not possessed by uninfected hairs. This phenomenon can be utilised to detect infected hairs among normal ones. The fluorescence is due to a water‐soluble substance which can be extracted from infected hairs. The wealth of spores and other organs produced in cultures on certain animal and vegetable media suggests that these fungi have a natural saprophytic stage in their life history. It is also possible that the saprophytic stage occurs on naturally infected hairs after they fall from the animal body. The dermatophytes in culture are subject to variation. The particular irreversible degenerative mutation known as “pleomorphism” can take place in isolates derived from either a single aleuriospore or a single fuseau. Pleomorphism appears to be due to a toxic action on the organism of monosaccharides and disaccharides. In media containing polysaccharides pleomorphism is not observed. Asci have been reported by several workers. While certain of these records appear to be unsubstantiated, others point to an affinity between the dermatophytes and the Gymnoascaceae. The classification of the 200 or more species is in a state of chaos. The newer systems show few advantages over Sabouraud's revised classification.

Antibodies with Affinity for Epithelial Tissue in Chronic Dermatophytosis

“…It is common in diseases where there is a persistence of living organisms in the bloodstream [6]. Live fungi have been demonstrated in the bloodstream following inoculation, and during the course of dermatophytic infections [5,11]. Both Jadassohn [7] and Sulzberger [12] have shown that such fungi can remain viable in organs and body fluids for long periods of time and retain their potential pathogenicity for the skin.…”

Immunology of Surface Fungi Dermatophytes

“…The older reviews include those by Tate (1929a,b) and Gregory (1935) and more recently Vanbreuseghem (1961), Grin and Ozegovic (1963), Hildick-Smith et al (1964), Balabanoff (1965), Ajello (1974), and .…”

“…Gregory (1935) reviewed several of these cases which included patients with tinea capitis, favus, and tinea pedis due to several dermatophyte species. Sulzberger (1928) showed that following cutaneous inoculation of guinea pigs with A. quinckeanum (= M. or T. quinckeanum), the fungus could be cultured from blood for 2 days.…”

A Preliminary Survey of the Gymnoascaceae. I

“…The above description is taken from Gregory (1935) and Rev. This species differs from E. deflexa in possessing septate spines.…”