354 5 GeneralMycology
Table5. 2 OverviewoftheMostImportantMycosesinHumans
Disease Etiology Remarks
Primarymycoses
(donotoccurendemicinEurope)
Coccidioidomycosis Coccidioidesimmitis Pulmonarymycosis.Inhalation
ofspores.SouthwesternUSand
SouthAmerica
Histoplasmosis Histoplasmacapsulatum Pulmonarymycosis.Inhalation
ofspores.Disseminationinto
RES.America,Asia,Africa
NorthAmerican
Blastomycoses
Blastomycesdermatitidis Primarypulmonarymycosis.
Secondarydissemination
(dermal).
NorthAmerica,Africa
SouthAmerican
Blastomycoses
Paracoccidioidesbrasiliensis Primarypulmonarymycosis.
Secondarydissemination
Opportunisticmycoses
Candidiasis(soor) Candidaalbicans,other
Candidasp.
Endogenousinfection.Primary
infectionofmucosaandskin
withsecondarydissemination
Aspergillosis Aspergillusfumigatus
(90%);other
Aspergillussp.
Aspergillosesoftherespiratory
tract,endophthalmitis;aspergil-
losisofCNS;septicaspergillosis
Cryptococcosis Cryptococcusneoformans
(yeast;thickcapsule)
Aerogenicinfection.Pulmonary
cryptococcosis.Secondarydisse-
minationintoCNS
Mucormycoses
(zygomycoses)
Mucorspp.;
Rhizopusspp.;
Absidiaspp.;
Cuninghamellaspp.,
andothers
Rhinocerebral,pulmonary,gas-
trointestinal,cutaneousmucor-
mycosis
Phaeohyphomycoses
(causedby
“dematious”or
“black”fungi)
Over 100 species
discoveredtodate,e.g.,
Curvulariaspp.;Bipolaris
spp.;Alternariaspp.
Melaninintegratedin
cellwall
Subcutaneousinfections,parana-
salsinusinfections,infectionsof
theCNS,sepsisalsopossible
Pneumocystosis Pneumocystiscarinii Defectivecellularimmunity
5
Kayser, Medical Microbiology © 2005 Thieme