What is the cause of Phaeohyphomycosis?

Phaeohyphomycosis can be caused by many species of dark, melanin-pigmented dematiaceous fungi including Bipolaris, Cladophialophora, Cladosporium, Exophiala, Fonsecaea, Phialophora, Ochronosis, Rhinocladiella, and Wangiella.

What causes Chromoblastomycosis?

Chromoblastomycosis is a chronic fungal infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue. The infection usually results from a traumatic injury and inoculation of microorganism from a specific group of dematiaceous fungi (usually Fonsecaea pedrosoi, Phialophora verrucosa, Cladophialophora carrionii).

What causes black Piedra?

Black piedra is caused by the fungus Piedraia hortae, of the class Ascomycetes, and presents with darker-colored nodules on hair shafts. Black piedra typically occurs on the scalp.

What are the symptoms of tinea capitis?

Tinea capitis (also called ringworm of the scalp) is a skin disorder that affects children almost exclusively. It can be persistent and very contagious. Symptoms may consist of itching, scaly, inflammed balding areas on the scalp. Oral antifungal medications are required to treat the infection.

What does phaeohyphomycosis look like?

Diagnosis of Phaeohyphomycosis Dematiaceous fungi can frequently be discerned in tissue specimens stained with conventional hematoxylin and eosin; they appear as septate, brownish hyphae or yeast-like cells, reflecting their high melanin content. Masson-Fontana staining for melanin confirms their presence.

How is phaeohyphomycosis diagnosed?

Phaeohyphomycosis can be diagnosed by microscopic examination of exudate and biopsy specimens, which reveals pigmented, dark-walled, irregularly septate filamentous hyphae (2–6 μm in diameter) or yeast-like cells. Infected tissues may be grossly pigmented, giving an appearance of melanoma.

What are the symptoms of chromoblastomycosis?

Usually, chromoblastomycosis begins on the foot or leg, but other exposed body parts may be infected, especially where the skin is broken. Early small, itchy, enlarging papules may resemble dermatophytosis. Symptoms and signs vary by site of infection.

How is chromoblastomycosis diagnosed?

Diagnosis is confirmed by the observation of muriform cells in tissue and the isolation and the identification of the causal agent in culture. Chromoblastomycosis still is a therapeutic challenge for clinicians due to the recalcitrant nature of the disease, especially in the severe clinical forms.

What does piedra look like?

Piedra is the Spanish word for stone. White piedra appears as white or light brown stones that loosely attach to the tip of a hair shaft and may group to form clusters. The stones, which people sometimes call concretions or nodules, feel gritty and are easy to remove.

What are the symptoms of black piedra?

Black piedra is characterized by stone-hard black nodules, measuring 1 to 2 mm, that are tightly adherent to the hair shafts. This infection usually affects scalp hair, whereas both facial and pubic hairs are typically not affected. A single hair shaft may have one or multiple nodules scattered along its entire length.

What happens if tinea capitis is left untreated?

Tinea capitis has a good prognosis with treatment. However, those who remain untreated are at risk for the development of an abscess, also known as a kerion. The fungi can shed spores for many months leading to spread. A common cause of treatment failure is a lack of medication compliance.

How does an adult get tinea capitis?

Tinea capitis in adults generally occurs in patients who are immunosuppressed and those infected with HIV. In immunocompetent adults, the clinical features are often atypical. The disease may resemble bacterial folliculitis, folliculitis decalvans, dissecting cellulitis, or the scarring related to lupus erythematosus.

How is phaeohyphomycosis treated?

Treatment: Phaeohyphomycosis is generally poorly responsive to treatment. Wide excision of cutaneous or subcutaneous lesions is recommended, followed by 6–12 mo of treatment with itraconazole (10 mg/kg/day). Nonresectable disease should be treated with itraconazole.

How is phaeohyphomycosis transmitted?

Etiology. Phaeohyphomycosis is caused by darkly pigmented (dematiaceous) fungi that inhabit soil and vegetation and gain access to tissues via traumatic implantation.

What is the difference between chromoblastomycosis and Phaeohyphomycosis?

Masson-Fontana staining for melanin confirms their presence. Phaeohyphomycosis is distinguished from chromoblastomycosis and mycetoma by the absence of specific histopathologic findings such as sclerotic bodies or grains in tissue. Culture is needed to identify the causative species.

Can chromoblastomycosis be cured?

Although early, small lesions of chromoblastomycosis can be treated with surgical removal, long-term oral antifungal therapy is the treatment of choice for more extensive disease. Severe disease is often refractory to treatment.

What is favus disease?

Favus or tinea favosa is a severe and chronic inflammatory dermatophyte infection, due in most cases to Trichophyton schoenleinii. Historically, the term ‘favus’ had been used, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, to characterize the honey-like exudate in some scalp infections.

How do you get piedra?

Causes. The technical cause of white piedra is a fungus of the trichosporon variety. This fungus is found mostly in soil. It is not clear how people get this infection but it may be that people who get white piedra already have the trichosporon fungus on their skin.

What kills black piedra?

Black piedra is treated by using oral terbinafine. White piedra can be treated by using topical antifungals, including imidazoles, ciclopirox olamine, 2% selenium sulfide, 6% precipitated sulfur in petroleum, chlorhexidine solution, Castellani paint, zinc pyrithione, and amphotericin B lotion.

Can tinea capitis spread to the body?

The fungus is very contagious and can be spread from person to person. Tinea infection can affect any part of the body. But it most often occurs on the feet, groin, nails, body, and scalp. Treatment depends on what part of the body is infected.