DESCRIPTIONS OF MEDICAL FUNGI

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Descriptions of Medical Fungi
Scopulariopsis Bain
Most members of the genus Scopulariopsis are soil fungi, which are frequently isolated
from food, paper and other materials. They also occur as laboratory contaminants.
Several species have been reported as causative agents of onychomycosis and
hyalohyphomycosis (Sandoval-Denis et al. 2013). The most common species seen in
the clinical laboratory is S. brevicaulis, followed by S. gracilis S. brumptii, Microascus
cinereus, S. candida complex, and M. cirrosus (Sandoval-Denis et al. 2013).
Morphological Description: Colonies are fast growing, varying in colour from white,
cream, grey, buff to brown and black, but are predominantly light brown. Microscopic
morphology shows chains of single-celled conidia produced in basipetal succession
from a specialised conidiogenous cell called an annellide. Once again, the term
basocatenate can be used to describe such chains of conidia where the youngest
conidium is at the basal end of the chain. In Scopulariopsis, annellides may be solitary,
in groups, or organised into a distinct penicillus. Conidia are globose to pyriform, usually
truncate, with a rounded distal portion, smooth to rough, and hyaline to brown in colour.
RG-2 for species isolated from humans.
Key Features: Hyphomycete, conidia often shaped like light globes, basocatenate
arising from annellides.
Molecular Identification: D1/D2 and EF-1α sequence analysis can be useful for the
identification of the most common clinically relevant species (Sandoval-Denis et al.
2013).
References: Morton and Smith (1963), McGinnis (1980), Rippon (1988), Samson et
al. (1995), Domsch et al. (2007), de Hoog et al. (2000, 2015).
10 µm
Scopulariopsis brevicaulis conidiophores (annellides) and conidia.
Antifungal Susceptibility: S. brevicaulis (Skora et al. 2014); MIC µg/mL.
Antifungal Range MIC 90
Antifungal Range MIC 90
AmB 4-16 >16 VORI 8->16 >16
ITRA >16 >16 TERB 0.5-16 4