AIRBORNE

CONTAMINANTS

ALTERNARIA

ASPERGILLUS

BOTYRIS

CHAETOMIUM

CEPHALOSPORIUM

CURVULARIA

FUSARIUM

Rapid-growing colonies, grayish

to black to brown; underside jet
black

Flat, compact colonies, white at

first then becoming black,
green, bluish or yellow

Soft looking tan to gray colony

Slow growing, flat, white,

yellow, tan or brown colony

White to tan to rose-colroed

colony, eventually developing
White aerial hyphae.

Dark brown to black colony on

both sides ragged in
appearance.

Fast-growing colony. At first,

white and cottony but develping
rose to red color on both sides

Large, hand grenade-shaped

spores with both longitudinal
and transverse cross walls.
Borne singly or in chains.
Septate, dematiaceous fungi.

Small one-celled spores

irradiating out from swollen
base (see arrows)

Colorless, one celled spores

borne in clumps

Large, dark, central structure is

perithecium that contains
ascospores (sexually produced)

Single celled, clear, elliptical

spores held together in a ball
unless broken loose

Large, bent spores with 3 to 5

cells. Similar to
Helminthosporium spp. Brown,
septate hyphae.

Largest spores are sickle-shaped

and may contain several cells.
Small spores with one to two
cells have more rounded ends.

CULTURE

MORPHOLOGY

MICROSCOPIC
VIEW

DESCRIPTION

AIRBORNE
CONTAMINANTS

GELASINOSPORA

GEOTRICHUM

GLIOCLADIUM

HORMODENDRUM

NEUROSPORA (MONILIA)

NIGROSPORA

PAECILOMYCES

Dark colony with numerous small

black dots which are perithecia
(sexual organs for Ascomycetes)

White to tan, flat or fluffy,

rapid-growing fungus

Flat, rapid-growing colony.

White at first, then developing
dark green central portion

Green to gray to black colony on

both sides. Often wrinkled and
grows flat

White at first but grows rapidly

filling the entire Petri dish in a few
days and becoming a salmon to
brown color. Mycelium may hang
from the lid of the Petri dish.

Rapid growing, producing

abundant fluffly, aerial hyphae,
gray to black on both sides.
Resembles Mucor or Rhizopus

Flat, rapid-growing, tan-colored

colony resembling Aspergillus
spp.

Squashed perithecium
showing many asci, each
containing 8 sexually
produced ascospores

Note hyphae breaking into

arthrospores. May be confused
with Coccidioides immitis.

Numerous small spores held

together in a clump. Similar to
Penicillium spp. Except for the
clumping of spores.

Dark brown septate hyphae bear

branching chains of elongate to
ovate spores that often contain
a small black dot at the end.
Spore bearing structures look
tree-like

Clear septate hyphae with large

masses of ovate spores which are
air-dispersed

Large, clearly visible jet black

spores.

Similar to Penicillium spp.

except small spores are
produced on very long, slender
structures

CULTURE

MORPHOLOGY

MICROSCOPIC
VIEW

DESCRIPTION

AIRBORNE
CONTAMINANTS

SPOROBOLOMYCES

STEMPHYLUM

STREPTOMYCES

SYNCEPHALASTRUM

VERTICILLIUM

CULTURE
AIRBORNE
CONTAMINANTS

PENICILLIUM

PULLULARIA (Aureobasidium)

RHODOTORULA

RHIZOPUS

SACCHAROMYCES

SCOPULARIOPSIS

SEPEDONIUM

CULTURE

A light tan yeast colony

MORPHOLOGY

MICROSCOPIC
MORPHOLOGY
VIEW

White colony at first but

developing blue to green color

Brown to black, wrinkled fuzzy

colony

Brown to black, flat, greasylooking colonies

Dry, flat, leathery colony grows

close to the medium

Gray to brown to black fluffy

colony that may fill a Petri dish in
a few days. Similar to Mucor and
Rhizopus spp

A pale yellow to vivid orange

yeast

Gray to brown to black colony

filling a Petri dish in 2 to 3 days.
Similar to Mucor spp.

Powdery to pinkish brown colony that looks similar to Penicillium spp.

White to tan yeast colonies

Powdery, light brown, wrinkled

colony resembling Penicillium
spp. Except for color.

Fluffy, white colony resembles

Histoplasma capsulatum

MICROSCOPIC
VIEW

DESCRIPTION

DESCRIPTION

DERMATOPHYTES

Yeast cells that may form long

slender tubes. Reproduces by
budding
Small, round spores borne in
brush-like formations

MICROSPORUM AUDOUINII

Hyphae are brown and strongly

septate: huge multicelled
terminal spores that may either
be smooth or rough
Mixture of dark, thick-walled,
large hyphal cells and clear
spores which seem to be budding

MICROSPORUM CANIS

Very fine (1um) branching hyphae

that readily break apart

Long, slender yeast cells, usually

budding, but may appear to form
pseudohyphae.

Broad, clear, nonseptate hyphae,

Single-celled elliptical spores borne in clusters that are arranged in whorls
spores in many slender sac-like
structures (sporangia) adhere to a
swelling on the terminal end of
hypha.
Similar to Mucor spp. except footTypical yeast cells that
Resembles Penicillium spp.
Large, rough-walled spores that
like structures (rhizoids) at base of
reproduce by budding.
except spores are larger and
resembles Histoplasma
spore bearing hyphae (see arrows).
form unbranched-chains
capsulatum
Spores in sporangium clear,
coenocytic hyphae

MICROSPORUM
GYPSEUM

MICROSPORUM DISTORTUM

MICROSPORUM FERRUGINEUM

MALASSEZIA
FURFURmedium plus
Culture
on Sabouraud
2 antibiotcs at room temperature for
3 weeks. Similar to Microsporum
canis but with less pigmentation.

(room
temp cultures)
Cultured
on Sabouraud
medium
plus 2 antibiotics for 3 weeks at
room temp. White to intense orange
yellow strains; often sectors

Colonies in Dixons agar are

cream to yellowish, smooth or
lightly wrinkled, glistening or
dull, with the margin being
eitherspores
entire similar
or lobate
Large
to

FONSECAEA PEDROSOI
Microsporum
canis but distorted
and bent in shape.

The colonies are dark brown

and may have a metallic green
tinge. They are very compact,
have a raised center and are
slightly fuzzy.
No distinguishing
spores.
Numerous, characteristic, Large
FONSECAEsepta,
COMPACTA
PHIALOPHORA
VERRUCOSA
Prominent
giving term
spore;
thin-walled,
pointed ends
bamboo hyphae.
with 2-5 septa.

TRICHOPHYTON EQUINUM

TRICHOPHYTON
MENTAGRPPHYTES

MICROSPORUM NANUM

MICROSPORUM
VANBREUSEGHEMII

CULTURE

DERMATOPHYTES

MORPHOLOGY
CULTURE

TRICHOSPORON BEIGELII

(room temperature
Cultured
on Sabouraudcultures)
plus 2
antibiotics at room temp. for 2-3
weeks. Fluffy white colony with
slight yellow underside

EPIDERMOPHYTON
FLOCCOSUM
Cultured on Sabouraud medium
plus 2 antibiotics at room temp. for
1-2 weeks. White on top with bright
yellow underside.

PIEDRAIA HORTAI

Cultured on Sabouraud medium

plus 2 antibiotics for 5-10 days at
room temp. Grows rapidly,
producing a cinnamon to brown
colored flat colony.

Cultured on Sabouraud medium

plus 2 antibiotics at room temp. for
1-3 weeks. White to buff surface:
bottom often yellow red brown.

Cultured on Sabouraud medium

plus 2 antibiotics for 1-2 weeks at
room temp. Cottony white surface,
may develop pink to tan coloration;
bottom often colorless to yellow.

Egg-shaped, thin- walled; large

CLADOSPORIM
CARRIONI
spores
with 1-3 septa

Huge, long, thick rough- walled

BASIDIOBOLUS
spores
with moreRANARUM
than 8 septa.

TRICHOPHYTON SCHOENLEINII

TRICHOPHYTON TONSURANS

The colony has a dark surface, flat

with slightly raised center. It is

Colonies are flat, yellowish gray

MICROSCOPIC
VIEW

MORPHOLOGY
SUBCUTANEOUS

DESCRIPTION

The colonies are smooth to

slightly wrinkled (not fuzzy)
and white to tan in color
SPOROTHRIX
SCHENCKII
No
distinguishing
spores will not
(Room
grow
onTemp)
rice

MICROSCOPIC
CULTURE
VIEW

DERMATOPHYTES

CULTURE
DESCRIPTION

TRICHOPHYTON VIOLACEUM
One observes
clear septate
Dark,
greasy-looking
culture
hyphae which may break up
into individual cells.

Cultured on Sabouraud
medium on 2 antibiotics for 1-3
weeks at room temp. Yellow to
green colored surface; green to
brown
underside.
SPOROTHRIX
SCHENCKII
Highly
diagnostic
large, thick-

(37 C cultures)
walled,
rough spores containing
more than 6 septa.

TRICHOPHYTON CONCENTRICUM
Large,
club-shaped
spores
with
White
to tan yeast
colonies
2 to 5 septa, often form in
pairs.

10% KOHis with

Surface
dark Parker
green, ink
gray or
mountcovered
showingby
characteristic
black,
silvery, velvetspherical yeast cells and short
pseudohyphal elements typical
of the lungs

TRICHOPHYTON RUBRUM

One
observes
dematiaceous
Surface is dark greenish, brown to
Surface
is dark
green
to black.
hyphae containing numerous black with a close matlike, olive to
septa

MORPHOLOGY

after 1 to 2 weeks incubation on

Sabouraud medium

after 1 to 3 weeks incubation on

brain heart infusion agar.

like mycelium. It is usually flat,

then develops a cone shaped
protrusion in the center. Reverse is
black.

The colonies are heaped, brittle

with irregular indented borders.
There are brownish hyphae on
the surface

gray mycelium. Some strains are

heaped, granular or flat with a
matted appearance. Reverse is
black.

covered with velvety dull gray,

gray green or purplish brown, short
napped mycelium. Reverse is
black.

to creamy gray, glabrous

becoming radially folded and
covered by a fine powder, white
surface mycelium

Clear, septate hyphae with

spores (3 to 6 um) in daisylike clusters

Round, oval, or cigar-shaped

yeast cells, 1 to 3 um x 4to 10
um

The hyphae is septate, branched

and brown. The conidia is dark
measuring 1.5-3.0 x 2.5-6.0 um.

Hyphae is septate, brown,

branching and bear Cladosporium
of conidiophores. Outstanding
features are flasklike shape
conidia and compact arrangement
of conidial chain.

The hyphae is brown, branched

and septate with vase-shaped
Phialophora type conidiophores.
The conidiophores are single or
multiple, lateral or terminal and
bear easily disrupted masses of
oval conidia

The hyphae is septate, dark with

lateral and terminal conidiophores
of varying size. conidiophores
produce long branching chains of
brown, smooth walled, oval,
pointed conidia which have dark
scars of attachment

There is the presence of large

vegetative hyphae forming
numerous round, smooth, thick
walled zygospores with two
closely appressed beaklike
appendages

MICROSCOPIC
VIEW

DESCRIPTION

SUBCUTANEOUS

N BRASILIENSIS (TOP)/
N MADUARAE(BOTTOM)-RT

EXOPHIALA (WANGIELLA)
DERMATITIDIS

CONIDIOBLOUS CORONATUS (25-30 C)

EXOPHIALA JEANSELMEI

PSEUDOALLESCHERICHIA BOYDII (SEXUAL)

The colonies have a cottony surface that is white to gray-brown in color and gets darker
with age of the culture. The reverse is also white turning brown with age.

CULTURE

MORPHOLOGY

Slow growing, dryappearing colonies on

Sabouraud medium.
Morphology varies
between etiologic agents.
Use biochemical tests.

Colonies are slow growing,

initially black and yeastlike, becoming suede-like,
ovilaceous grey and mould
like age.

Colonies are flat, cream-colored, glabrous

becoming radially folded and covered by
fine powdery white surface mycelium and
conidiophores.

The colonies are brown or

green-black, moist and
glistening. With age they
become covered with
velvety grayish hyphae.
The reverse is black

GRAPHIUM, asexual state of P. BOYDII (sexual state). The coremia or Synnemata(conidial

structures) of the Graphium state of P.boydii have terminal hyaline conidia, club-shaped
or cylindrical, approximately 6 x 3 um. In the sexual state(P.boydii), large, 50-200 um
in diameter, round, brown cleistothecia are found containing ascospores

MICROSCOPIC
VIEW

DESCRIPTION

SCEDOSPORIUM APIOSPERMUM (ASEXUAL STATE OF BOYDII) The Scedosporium type of

conidia of P. boydii may rise directly from the septate hyphae or from the tip of
conidiophores, appear truncated at the base, and sometimes resemble the conidia of
Blastomyces dermatitidis. The hyphae are long and slender, branch at acute angles and
thus may resemble aspergilli.
Variations in acid fastness
help to determine between
some etiologic agents.
Delicate hyphae, 1 um. All
are members of the
Actinomycetes.
Recommended room
temperature incubation,
although morphology is
similar at both temp

In new culture, oval and

round budding yeast-like
cells are formed.
Subsequently these cells
produce septate hyphae
with flask-shaped to
cylindrical phialides found
at the tip of the phialide
and also along d hyphae.

DEEP SEATED

The hyphae have few septa. The

conidiophores are unbranched forming
solitary terminal conidia. The conidia are
spherical, single-celled and have a
prominent papilla. It may also produce hairlike appendages called villae.

HISTOPLASMA CAPSULATUM
ROOM TEMP

37 C

The conidiophores are

elongated, tubular and with
a tapered, narrow end.
Conidia are smooth, thinwalled, and ellipsoid and
can gather in clusters
around the conidiophores
and at points along the
septate hyphae

RHINOSPOR This organism has never been cultured; its existence as a water saprophyte or fish pathogen is
suspected
IDIUM SEEBERI (RT AND 37 C)

COCCIDIODES IMMITIS

PARACOCCIDIOIDES BRAZILIENSIS
RT

37 C

DEEP SEATED

CULTURE

Histoplasmosis
Histoplasma capsulatum
Coccidioidomycosis
Coccidioides immitis
South American Blastomycosis
Paracoccidioides brasiliensis
North American Blastomycosis
Blastomycosis dermatitidis

MORPHOLOGY

White to tan yeast colony after 1 to 3

weeks incubation on brain heart
infusion agar.

Innocent looking, but dangerous

white fluffy colony on Sabouraud
medium after 1 to 3 weeks
incubation. Underside may develop
darker color

White, slow growing, nondescript

colony on Sabouraud medium after 2
to 4 weeks incubation

Rough, dry yeast colonies after 2

to 4 weeks incubation on brain
heart infusion agar

Characteristic large tuberculated

macroconidia (10-20 um) and
occasional smaller, infectious
microconidia

Numerous, small (2 to 4 um), oval, or

round, budding yeast cells

Hyphae forming characteristic

arthrospores 4 x 8 um
Grows sparsely at37, same
morphology at 37 and RT

Fine, septae, clear hyphae lacking

spores

Large yeast cells (10 to 60 um)

with numerous, small buds 2 to 5
um

MICROSCOPIC
VIEW

DESCRIPTION

DEEP SEATED

Whtie, innocent looking (but

dangerous) colony after 1-3 weeks
incubation on Saboraud medium.
Note color of underside

BLASTOMYCES DERMATITIDIS
RT
37 C

OPPORTUNISTIC

CULTURE

CANDIDA ALBICANS
RT AND 37 C

CRYPTOCOCCUS NEOFORMANS

ASPERGILLUS SP
RT / 37 C

RHIZOPUS

White colonies incubated on

Sabouraud medium for 5 to 7
days

Off white, mucous colonies on

Sabouraud medium after 5 to 10
days

Upper left: green colony after 5

to 10 days on Sabouraud
medium. Colorless underside

All etiologic agents rapidly fill

Petri dish after 2 to 4 days
incubation. Becomes tan or gray

Chlamydospore agar, 1 to 2 days

incubationl Note yeast cells,
pseudohyphae and
chlamydospores
Usually cultured at RT. Some
species grow at 37 C and have
morphology similar to that of
organisms grown at RT

India ink preparation showing

numerous heavily encapsulated
yeast cells

Typical

Characteristic features
sporangium, coenocytic hyphae
and rootlike structures

Candidiasis
Candida albicans
Cryptococcosis
Cryptococcus
neoformans

MORPHOLOGY

Colony after 1 to 3 weeks

incubation on Sabouraud
medium. White colony, brown
to tan underside

Rough, dry, heaped-up yeast

colony after 1 to 3 weeks
incubation on brain heart
infusion agar

Zygomycosis
(Mucormycosis) Phycomycosis
Rhizopus
Mucor
Absidia
Basidiobolus
Conidiobolus

MICROSCOPIC
VIEW

DESCRIPTION

Aspergillosis
Aspergillus fumigatus

Delicate, septate hyphae

bearing oval to pyriform spores,
4 to 8 um

Yeast cells, 10 to 15 um. Note

broad-based budding

Geotrichosis
Geotrichum
candidum
Penicillosis
Penicilium spp.

OPPORTUNISTIC

BASIDIOBOLUS RANARUM

CONIDIOBLOUS CORONATUS (25-30 C)

GEOTRICHUM

Usually cultured at 37 C to
inhibit contaminants

PENICILLIUM

Usually cultured at room

temperature. Some species grow
at 37 C
and have morphology similar to
that or organisms grown at room
temperature

Optimal incubation temp is 30 C.

morphologically similar at any
temp

CULTURE

MORPHOLOGY

Colonies are flat, yellowish gray to

creamy gray, glabrous becoming
radially folded and covered by a fine
powder, white surface mycelium

Colonies are flat, cream-colored, glabrous

becoming radially folded and covered by fine
powdery white surface mycelium and
conidiophores.

White to tan, flat or fluffy, rapidgrowing fungus

White colony at first but developing

blue to green color

There is the presence of large

vegetative hyphae forming numerous
round, smooth, thick walled
zygospores with two closely appressed
beaklike appendages

The hyphae have few septa. The conidiophores are

unbranched forming solitary terminal conidia. The
conidia are spherical, single-celled and have a
prominent papilla. It may also produce hair-like
appendages called villae.

Note hyphae breaking into

arthrospores. May be confused with
Coccidioides immitis.

Small, round spores borne in brushlike formations

MICROSCOPIC
VIEW

DESCRIPTION