Phaeohyphomycosis

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As Phaeohyphomycosis ( Engl . Phaeohyphomycosis ) ( Greek φαιός phaiós , German , dark ' ; ὑφή hyphe , tissue'; μύκης Mykes , mushroom ') refers to a chronic infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue with various pigmented fungi that in cattle , horses , cats and dogs .

Pathogen

Phäohyphomykose is a mycosis caused by fungi from the genera Alternaria , Bipolaris , Cladophialophora , Curvularia , Exophiala ("black yeast"), Fonsecaea , Moniliella , Phialophora , Ramichloridium and Scolecobasidium . These fungi are common in the normal environment and feed on organic material ( saprophytes ). If they get into a wound through a skin injury, they can cause an infection there.

Symptoms

Phaeohyphomycosis manifests itself as ulcer-like , pyogranulomatous, nodular changes in the skin. Lump formation can also occur in the airways , especially the nose . The nodular changes are slowly growing and can form fistulas . Inside, they contain pigmented hyphae that are irregularly enlarged.

diagnosis

Diagnosis is made by microscopic examination of the lesions emerging from the effluent and from biopsies , at the end thereof, may be pigmented in which hyphae with 2 to 6 microns in diameter detected conidiophores are from 6 to 12 microns in diameter which the spores contained. The various pathogens cannot be differentiated microscopically. The exact pathogen can be determined via PCR or fungal culture . As a differential diagnosis are tumors , granulomas of other origin and epidermoid cyst in question.

therapy

The infection is mostly limited to the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Treatment of first choice is the surgical excision of the lesion ( excision ). Alternatively, treatment with antifungal drugs may be considered. The therapeutics of choice are amphotericin B and itraconazole .

literature

  • Phaeohyphomycosis . In: The Merck Veterinary Manual , 9th Edition, Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA, 2005, ISBN 0-911910-50-6 , p. 522