Blastomyces dermatitidis is a thermally dimorphic fungus that grows as a mycelial form in the environment and as a thick-walled budding yeast in tissues (at 37°C). It causes blastomycosis, a chronic granulomatous and suppurative disease […]
Identification of fungi depends largely on their macroscopic features (colony characteristics, growth rate, color, texture, diffusible pigment, exudates, aerial and submerged hyphae) and microscopic features (arrangement of spores and sporing bodies). Arrangements of conidiophores and […]
Pneumocystis jirovecii (previously known as Pneumocystis carinii) is an opportunistic atypical fungal pathogen which does not respond to conventional anti-fungal agents*. P.jirovecii is an organism of low virulence which spreads through the air and causes […]
Detection of specific antigens present in the sample (blood, urine, CSF or stool) using immunologic methods such as precipitin tests, particle agglutination tests, immunofluorescence, immunochromatographic or enzyme immunoassays are the mainstay for the rapid diagnosis […]
Aspergillus is a ubiquitous mold found throughout the world in air, soil, water, and decaying vegetation. It is an opportunistic pathogen causing infections mainly in people with impaired immunity (people living with HIV/AIDS, having chronic […]
Early diagnosis of fungal infection is critical for effective treatment. For many decades, culture, direct microscopy, and histopathology have been the foundation for the diagnosis of fungal infections. Severely immunosuppressed patient population is continuously growing […]
Staib medium also known as Bird Seed Agar is a selective and differential medium for isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans from clinical specimens and differentiation of it from other Cryptococcus species. It is also known as […]
Histoplasma capsulatum is an intracellular, thermally dimorphic fungi (grows as a yeast in body temperature/37°C in humans, mammals or in culture media and as mold in 25°C in environment/culture media) of medical importance that can survive within macrophages […]
Cryptococcus neoformans is a yeast with a prominent polysaccharide capsule. It is an opportunistic fungal pathogen notoriously known as the most common cause of fungal meningitis (infection and inflammation of the meninges) in immunocompromised patients […]
Potassium hydroxide (KOH) preparation is used for the rapid detection of fungal elements in clinical specimen, as it clears the specimen making fungal elements more visible during direct microscopic examination. KOH is a strong alkali. When […]
Candida albicans is an endogenous organism, found in 40 to 80% of normal human beings as commensal in gastrointestinal tract, oropharynx . It is a commonest cause of candidiasis (moniliasis). Candida albicans is a gram positive […]
Germ tube test is the confirmatory test for Candida albicans. Germ tube formation was first reported by Reynolds and Braude and hence the germ tube test is also known as Reynolds-Braude Phenomenon. This is a […]
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