DESCRIPTIONS OF MEDICAL FUNGI

80
Descriptions of Medical Fungi
Cylindrocarpon Wollenw.
The genus contains 35 species, mostly from soil and as an occasional human and
animal pathogen. Cylindrocarpon differs from Fusarium by lacking an asymmetrical
foot-cell on the macroconidia.
RG-2 organism (if isolated from humans).
Morphological Description: Colonies are fast growing, hyaline or bright-coloured,
suede-like or woolly. Sporodochia may occasionally be present. Conidiophores
consist of simple or repeatedly verticillate phialides, arranged in brush-like structures.
Phialides are cylindrical to subulate, with small collarettes producing hyaline, smoothwalled
conidia, arranged in slimy masses. Two types of conidia may be produced: (1)
macroconidia which are one to several septate, hyaline, straight or curved, cylindrical
to fusiform, with a rounded apex and flat base; and (2) microconidia which are onecelled,
and usually clearly distinct from the macroconidia. Chlamydospores may be
present or absent, hyaline to brown, spherical, formed singly, in chains or in clumps,
intercalary or terminal.
References: Booth (1966), Domsch et al. (1980), de Hoog et al. (2000, 2015).
a
b
15 µm
c
15 µm
Cylindrocarpon spp. (a) culture, (b) chlamydospores and (c) macroconidia.