Contaminants/Opportunistic Fungicontinued Clinical Microbiology Review 274
FUNGUS CLASSIFICATION SIGNIFICANCE COLONIAL MORPHOLOGY MICROSCOPIC MORPHOLOGY
Acremonium
Fusarium
Penicillium
Small, hyaline, septate hyphae.
Unbranched phialides. Oblong,
1- to 2-celled conidia in clusters at
tips of phialides.
Septate hyphae. Unbranched conid-
iophores. Large, canoe-shaped,
multiseptate macroconidia. Small
1- to 2-celled oval or cylindrical
conidia in singles or clusters on
simple conidiophores.
Septate hyphae. Branched or un-
branched conidiophores. “Brush-like.”
Flask-shaped phialides bearing un-
branched chains of round conidia.
Can be a contaminant.
Can cause mycetoma,
corneal & nail infections.
Can be a contaminant.
Can cause eye, skin, nail,
systemic infections.
Can be contaminant. Can
cause keratitis, external
ear infections, endocardi-
tis with artificial heart
valves.
Hyaline mold
Hyaline mold
Hyaline mold
Mature within 5 days. Front
is white, spreading, moist,
colorless. Becomes cottony
with gray top. Reverse is
yellow or rose.
Mature within 4 days. Front
is white & cottony, develop-
ing pink or violet center.
Reverse is light.
Mature within 4 days. Front
is white at first. Becomes
powdery, blue-green with
white border. Reverse is
usually white.
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