A rapid growing (2-5 days) culture of fluffy blue-green colo…
A rapid growing (2-5 days) culture of fluffy blue-green colonies from a respiratory specimen obtained from an immunocompromised ICU patient showed septate hyaline hyphae with many conidiophores. The tips of the conidiophores expand into large dome-shaped vesicles with bottle-shaped phialides covering the upper half or two-thirds of its surface. Long chains of conidia are present at the ends of the phialides. At the base of the conidiophore, a “foot cell” is seen attaching the conidiophore to the septate hyphae. The most likely organism is:
Read DetailsA gardener develops a brown patch of skin in the center of t…
A gardener develops a brown patch of skin in the center of the palms of his hands. He has treated them with a variety of over-the-counter medicines but it does not go away. When the itching becomes worse, he seeks medical advice. He is diagnosed with tinea nigra. What is the causative agent of this infection?
Read DetailsA young woman went to the Emergency Room with irritated eyes…
A young woman went to the Emergency Room with irritated eyes. After examining her, the physician found she had an infection in both of her corneas. A culture of the lesions revealed canoe-shaped conidia. What is the causative agent?
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