Question | Answer |
Aflatoxins | produced by aspergillus flavus (grows on peanuts and most grains)--apparently cause cancer--especially in liver where they are degraded |
Aseptate hyphae | without cross-walls--culture as a fluffy mold |
Aspergilloma | organisms are frequently found in body cavities--sometimes as fungal balles |
Aspergillosis | pneumonia of the lung--dx includes finding the fungi in sputum from which fuzzy molds are cultured |
Blastomycosis | pulmonary infections caused by Blastomyces dermatitidis--can spread to other tissues--comes primarily from rotting wood--inhalation leads to persistent cough and chest pain--organisms infect hosts via cuts/abraisions--raised wart-like lesions on skin |
Coccidioidomycosis | caused by Coccidiodes immitis from alkaline soils--Sonoran climates--mostly pulmonary/meningeal--chest pains--dry hacking cough--high fever--fungi form large sack of spores---spherule--dx sputum/tissue biopsies |
Cryptococcosis | common disease in AIDS pts--caused by Filobasidiella neoformans--encapsulated yeast found in pigeon droppings--cause pneumonia/meningitis--encapsulated yeast with enzyme urease--capsul is antiphagocytic factor--causes over 25% of all fungal deaths |
Ergot | mycotoxin produced by fungus claviceps purpurea--causes hallucinations and other brain disturbances |
Histoplasmosis | caused by Histoplasma capsulatum--lives in soil--infection of lung and can spread to other organs--dx--yeasts in bronchoalveolar lavage macrophages and antigen detection in blood serum--does not contain capsule--grow in bird droppings-chicken/bats |
Otomycosis | fungal condition of the ear--occurs from growth in earwax |
Phycomycetes | fungus with seaweed appearance--also called zygomycetes--reproduce sexually by formation of zygotes--found in soil--causes pulmonary diseases--grow on blood vessel walls--problem for diabetics-grow under conditions of acidosis--produce aseptate hyphae |
Pneumocytosis | established P. carinii--most common secondary infection in AIDS pts-causes 50% of AIDS deaths--dry cough with sx of pneumonia--T cells control infection, but immunocompromised lack functioning T cells--high risk of reactivation endogenous fungal cells |
Septate hyphae | Aspergillus fumigatus--septat-cross-walls--hyphae--hairlike threads of mold |
Thermal dimorphism | organisms have 2 morphologic forms--yeast in tissue at 37 degrees C and mold in environment at cooler temps |