Easy Points: Micro - Superficial and Cutaneous Mycoses

Superficial mycoses affect which layers of the skin?

Superficial mycoses affect which layers of the hair?

Found areas of the body rich in sebaceous glands

Lesion: hypopigmented or hypopigmented macular lesion that scale readily giving it a chakly appearance; occurs most frequently on the upper torso of the body

Etiologic agent: Malssezia furfur

Clinical diagnosis: microscopic examination of skin scrapings; "spaghetti and meatballs"

Appearances; cultures are not routinely done to confirm diagnosis

Clinical feature: lesions are described as well demarcated gray to black macular areas found on the palmar and plantar areas of the stratum corneum

Etiologic agent: Exiophilia werneckii

Clinical diagnosis: septate hyphae and budding yeast cells

Clinical feature: hard black nodules found along the hairshaft; affects scalp hair

Etiologic agent: Piedraia hortae

Clinical diagnosis: asci and ascospores

There is development of cream soft pasty growth along the infected hair shaft; affects the hairs of the axilla, bread, moustache, pubic and scalp

Etiologic agent: Trichosporon beigeli

Clinical diagnosis: sleeve-like collarette around the hair shaft

3 Genera of cutaneous myscoses

Infects the skin, hair and nails
More micronidia than macronidia are formed

Grape-like clusters of micronidia on terminal branch

Teardrop shaped micronidia

Clavate micronidia

Favic chandelier

Infects the skin and hair only
More macronidia than micronidia are formed

Macronidia have curved or hooked spiny tip

Thinner walled macronidia

Thick walled chlamydospores

Invade the skin and nails
E. floccosum
Fuseaux in banana branch

Foot; infected with trichophyton and epidermophyton

Skin of the body; infected with Microsporum, Trichophyton, and Epidermophyton

Groin; infected with Trichophyton and Epidermophyton

Scalp and hair; Endothrix infection - spores seen inside hair shaft; Trichophyton spp
Ecthothrix infection - spores surrounding the hair shaft; Microsporum spp.

Beard; infected with Trichophyton

Hair infection caused by T. schoenleine; has a waxy mass of hyphal elements surrouding the base of the hair follicle at the scalp line.  Microscopic examination of the hair reveals degenerated hyphal elements coursing throughout the hair shaft.  Such hairs are called favic and are diagnostic of the infection

Dissolves skin, nail scrapings

With calcoflour white prep, you will see branching septate, hyphal elements in these tissues

With calcoflour white prep, you will see ectothrix or endothrix infection in this tissue

Agar used for culture