Kim Alyssa B.

Go UIC-MLS3E
SUPERFICIAL AND CUTANEOUS
MYCOSES Type of Ringworm Body part affected
MYCOLOGY AND VIROLOGY LEC. Tinea barbae Beard
DR. ALFREDO HINAY
Tinea capitis Scalp/head
SUPERFICIAL MYCOSES
Tinea corporis Body (glabrous skin)
● “Spaghetti and meatballs
● Non-invasive, involves top layer of the skin, hair, Tinea cruris Groin (Jock Itch)
or nails
● Superficial mycoses can actually cause infection Tinea pedis Feet (Athlete’s foot)
only if you are immunocompromised
Tinea unguium Nails (Onchomycosis)
● Caused by dermatophytes
○ Most common cause of superficial
mycoses Trichophyton spp.
○ They are group of fungi that are able to ● infect the hair, skin and nails
damage and utilize keratin found in the
skin, hair and nails Trichophython spp.
● Dermatophytes
○ Trichophyton T. verrucosum Rat tail microconidia
○ Epidermophyton
○ Microsporum T. violaceum Violet colony on SDA with
● Non-Dermatophytes oil
○ Malassezia T. schoenlenii Favic chandelier, causes
○ Trichosporon alopecia
○ Piedra
○ Exophiala T. tonsurans Balloon microconidia,
“black dot ringworm”

DERMATOPHYTES
● Break down and utilize keratin - source of HAIR PERFORATION TEST
Nitrogen
● Incapable of penetrating in subcutaneous tissue
T. T. rubrum
(hence, superficial)
mentagrophytes
○ Genus Trichophyton - skin, hair, and
nails Urease + -
○ Genus Microsporum - skin and hair (not
nails) Hair baiting + -
○ Genus Epidermophyton - skin and nails test
(not hair)
Red - +
● These organisms cause TINEA a.k.a Ringworm pigmentation
● Ex. Onchomycosis : Infection in the nails on SDA (seen
in Reverse
Cutaneous mycoses plate) (deep
● referred to as tinea - latin for “worm”, or red)
“ringworm”
● Characterized by another Latin word to
designate the area of the body involved Trichophyton mentagrophytes
1. Microconidia (grapelike)
2. Macroconidia (cigar shaped)
● Colonies are generally flat, white to cream in
color, with a powdery to granular surface
● Reverse: Yellow-brown to reddish-brown color
 Kim Alyssa B. Go UIC-MLS3E
Trichophyton rubrum ● Characteristic antler “nail head” hyphae, also
● Microconidia: known as “favic chandeliers”, may be
○ clavate- or peg- shaped (teardrop observed.
shaped) ● Cultures are difficult to maintain in their typical
● Macroconidia: convoluted form, and rapidly become flat and
○ Produce three to eight-celled cylindrical downy.
● Appearance: ● No reverse pigmentation is present (white)
○ White downy to pink granular
○ Reverse: Yellow when the colony is
young, red color when old culture MICROSPORUM SPP.
● may infect the hair and skin but rarely the nails
● characterized by presence of large, spindle-
Trichophyton tonsurans shaped, thick-walled, multiseptate macroconidia
● Hyphae are relatively broad, irregular, much
branched with numerous septa
● Microconidia:
Microsporum spp.
○ varying in size and shape from long
clavate to broad pyriform, are borne at M. canis Grows on Rice Grains
right angles to the hyphae
● Macroconidia: M. audounii Apple green fluorescence
○ very occasional smooth, thin-walled, under UV light
irregular, clavate
M. gypseum Geophilic (can be
● Appearance: transferred in the form of
○ Colonies show considerable variation in soil)
texture and color
○ Reverse: color varies from yellow-
brown to reddish-brown to deep
mahogany
EPIDERMOPHYTON SPP.

Epidermophyton floccosum
Trichophyton verrucosum
● only member; most common cause of TINEA
● The tips of some hyphae are broad and club-
CRURIS and TINEA PEDIS
shaped, and occasionally divided, giving the so-
● Club shaped smooth walled macroconidia with
called “antler” effect
two to four cells; described as “beaver-tail’
● Chlamydospores are often in chains
● Does not produce microconidia
● Macroconidia are only rarely produced, but
● Colony characteristics:
when present, have a characteristic tail or string
○ Surface: Khaki green
bean shape
○ Reverse: yellowish brown with folds
● Colony characteristics:
○ Colonies are slow growing, small,
button, or disk-shaped, white to cream-
NON-DERMATOPHYTE CAUSES OF SUPERFICIAL
colored, with a suede-like to velvety
MYCOSES
surface, a raised center, and flat
periphery with some submerged growth
Malassezia furfur
○ Reverse:
● Associated with poor personal hygiene
■ Pigment may vary from non-
● Fluoresce under UV wood’s lamp
pigmented to yellow
● Grows on SDA with oil
● Microscopy: Spaghetti and meatballs
● Causative agent of: Tinea versicolor/Ptyriasis
Trichophyton schoenlenii
versicolor
● No macroconidia and microconidia are seen
in routine cultures
● Tinea versicolor/Ptyriasis versicolor
 Kim Alyssa B. Go UIC-MLS3E
○ Superficial brownish or scaly areas on
light skinned individuals
○ Irregular patches or non-pigmented or
untanned skin on dark-skinned
individual

Exophiala werneckii
● Causative agent of: Tinea Nigra Palmaris
○ located in Palm area

Piedraia hortae
● causative agent of : Black Piedra
○ located in hair
○ Hard, brown black in crusts on the
outside of the hair shaft

Trichosporon beigelii
● causative agent of: White piedra
○ Located in hair (beard or mustache)
○ Light brown, soft nodules on the beard
or mustache that are less firmly
attached than those of black piedra

Tinea favosa/favus
● infection of the hair follicles
○ can progress to formation of crusty, cup-
shaped lesion (scutula) which is made
up of dead epithelial cells and fungal
mycelia
○ can lead to hair loss and scar tissue
formation
○ caused by: Trichophyton schoenleinii