Quick Review Cards for Medical Laboratory Science

Contaminants/Opportunistic Fungicontinued Clinical Microbiology Review 275

FUNGUS CLASSIFICATION SIGNIFICANCE COLONIAL MORPHOLOGY MICROSCOPIC MORPHOLOGY

Alternaria

Cladosporium

Curvularia

Dark septate hyphae. Conidiophores

of variable length, sometimes

branched. Large brown, drumstick-

shaped conidia with transverse &

longitudinal septations, in singles

or chains.

Dark septate hyphae. Dark branching

conidiophores producing 2 or more

chains of oval brown conidia.

Dark septate hyphae. Simple or

branched conidiophores, bent

where conidia attach. Large, 4-celled,

curved conidia. Central cell is larger

& darker.

Can be contaminant.

Can cause subcutaneous

infection.

Nonpathogenic.

Can be a contaminant.

Can cause sinusitis,

keratitis.

Dematiaceous

Dematiaceous

Dematiaceous

Mature within 5 days. Front

is gray-white & wooly at

first. Becomes green-black

or brown with light border.

Reverse is black.

Mature within 7 days. Front

is green-brown or black with

velvety nap. Becomes

heaped & slightly folded.

Reverse is black.

Mature within 5 days. Front is

dark olive green to brown or

black with pink-gray wooly

surface. Reverse is black.