Current Medical Mycology

Candida auris is an emerging pathogen predominantly isolated from immunocompromised patients, hospitalized for a long time. It inhabits the skin surfaces of patients causing ear, wound, and systemic infections; if not treated properly, it could lead to severe mortality. Apart from being a skin pathogen, C. auris colonizes the surfaces of medical devices. Medical devices are hospital tools and components often utilized for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases associated with human skin. The mechanism of survival and persistence of C...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Species identification of Malassezia using culture-dependent methods is time-consuming due to their fastidious growth requirements. This study aimed to evaluate a rapid and accurate molecular method in order to diagnose the pityriasis versicolor (PV) and identify Malassezia species from direct clinical samples. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Skin scraping or tape samples from patients with PV and healthy volunteers as the control group were collected...

Mucormycosis (previously called zygomycosis) is a diverse group of increasingly recognized and frequently fatal mycotic diseases caused by members of the class zygomycetes. Mucormycosis is around 80 times more common in India, compared to other developed countries, with a frequency of 0.14 cases per 1,000 population. The most frequent causative agent of mucormycosis is the following genera from the Order Mucorales Rhizopus , Mucor , Rhizomucor , Absidia , Apophysomyces , Cunninghamella , and Saksenaea ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Morbidity and mortality of opportunistic fungal infections in COVID-19 patients are less studied and defined. The patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy, broad-spectrum antibiotics, corticosteroids, and invasive and non-invasive ventilation are the high-risk groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The demographic profile as well as clinical and radiological findings of all the patients with COVID-19 suspected of Mucormycosis (MM) were recorded...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cerebral aspergillosis is a notorious disease that causes rapid clinical deterioration and carries a poor prognosis. Therefore, it requires timely diagnosis and prompt management. CASE REPORT: This study reports a case of fungal cerebral abscess in a 26years old man following hemodialysis,2 months afterdengue-induced acute kidney disease. Aspergillus fumigatus was recovered from a brain abscess specimen that was subjected to a parietal craniotomy...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The hospital environment was reported as a real habitat for different microorganisms, especially mold fungi. On the other hand, these opportunistic fungi were considered hospital-acquired mold infections in patients with weak immune status. Therefore, this multi-center study aimed to evaluate 23 hospitals in 18 provinces of Iran for fungal contamination sources. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 43 opened Petri plates and 213 surface samples were collected throughout different wards of 23 hospitals...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Given the high mortality rate of invasive candidiasis in hospitalized pediatric patients, it is crucial to establish a predictive system to achieve early diagnosis and treatment of patients who are likely to benefit from early antifungal treatment. This study aimed to assess the Candida colonization index, species distribution, and antifungal susceptibility pattern of Candida strains isolated from pediatric patients with high Candida colonization index (CI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was carried out at the Children's Medical Center in Tehran-Iran...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Fungal infection by species of pathogenic Candida with antifungal resistance is currently a serious problem. Treatment with new medications is becoming more challenging to manage this type of infection. The present study aimed to investigate the antifungal effect of essential oils (EOs) against itraconazole-resistant species of pathogenic Candida . MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven essential oils were tested on 15 clinical isolates of itraconazole-resistant Candida from patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Trichophyton quinckeanum , a known zoophilic dermatophyte responsible for favus form in rodents and camels, is occasionally reported to cause human infections. CASE REPORT: This study aimed to report a case of tinea corporis caused by T. quinckeanum that experienced annular erythematous pruritic plaque with abundant purulent secretions. In June 2021, a 15-year-old girl with an erythematous cup shape lesion on the right wrist bigger than 3 cm in diameter was examined for tinea corporis...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Scedosporium species are ubiquitous environmental fungi, which are considered emerging agents that trigger disease in humans and animals. The present study aimed to determine Scedosporium dehoogii strain isolated from paddy field soil samples using semi-selective media and evaluate its antifungal susceptibility profile. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three paddy field soil samples were collected during an investigation for the isolation of Scedosporium species in Mazandaran province, Iran...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Genotyping of pathogenic microorganisms is important for epidemiological studies and the adoption of appropriate strategies to control infectious diseases. In this regard, the present study aimed to genotype Candida albicans strains isolated from vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) patients using combined ABC type (25SrDNA) and repetitive sequence (RPS) typing systems. using combined typing systems of ABC type (25SrDNA) and repetitive sequence (RPS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 140 patients with VVC were investigated...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Invasive candidiasis is one of the most common systemic mycoses, and studies have shown mixed yeast infections. Malaysia lacks mixed yeast culture data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Yeast isolates were collected in Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital, North Malaysia, from October 2020 to October 2021. Chromogenic Candida differential agar media and PCR-RFLP were used to identify yeast species. RESULTS: A total of 206 yeast isolates were collected from different body sites of patients...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Candidemia is known as an invasive fungal infection with high mortality. The prevalence of candidemia in intensive care unit (ICU) patients is more than in other hospital wards. Early diagnosis of candidemia in these patients is essential for disease management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 250 patients suspected of candidemia. Blood samples were taken from patients and incubated. The fungal isolates were identified by PCR-RFLP method using MSP I restriction enzyme...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The human mouth mucosal surface is colonized by indigenous microflora, which normally maintains an ecological balance among different species. However, certain environmental or biological factors may disrupt this balance, leading to microbial diseases. Candida albicans biofilms are formed on indwelling medical devices and have an association with both oral and invasive candidiasis. This study aimed to compare the amount of adherent C. albicans and the biofilm formed on different denture base materials...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Infections by emerging and multiresistant Candida species are becoming more frequent throughout the world. This study aimed to describe Candida species in different wards of a tertiary hospital in Honduras. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The prevalence of species within the C. albicans complex was estimated using a molecular approach, and C. auris was investigated using a yeast pool-based DNA extraction method. In total, 328 yeast isolates were identified using phenotypic approaches...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Candidiasis is regarded as one of the most important fungal infections and a cause of disease and mortality in patients with hematological malignancy. Accordingly, antifungal prophylaxis is of significant importance in this regard. This study aimed to identify the epidemiology of Candida colonization and evaluate its antifungal susceptibility pattern in patients with hematological malignancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, the samples were collected from the oral cavity of 100 patients, and Candida colonization was confirmed by fungal culture...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Candidemia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy and those hospitalized with serious underlying diseases. Here, we investigated the epidemiological, clinical, and mycological features of candidemia in Tehran, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective observational study of all patients diagnosed with candidemia was performed at two referral teaching hospitals in Tehran, Iran, from February to December 2018...

Since its first emergence in December 2019, due to its fast distribution throughout the world, SARS-COV-2 become a global concern. With the extremely increased number of hospitalized patients, this situation provided a potential basis for the transmission of nosocomial infections. Candida auris is a multidrug-resistant pathogen with improved transmission dynamics and resistance traits. During the worldwide spread of COVID-19, cases or outbreaks of C. auris colonization or infection have been reported. Resistance to antifungal drugs has been observed in the causative agents of the majority of such cases...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Fungus Ball (FB) is a non-invasive fungal infection caused mainly by Aspergillus species. It can occur after root canal treatments are applied to the teeth adjacent to the maxillary sinus. These balls are commonly seen in the paranasal sinuses and rarely observed in the nasal cavity. This report attempted in to highlight such a rare case of fungal infection which requires accurate observation. Moreover, it highlights the importance of careful microbiological and histopathological examinations that were combined with imaging and can lead to a definitive diagnosis...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cryptococcosis is a known opportunistic infection. Thymomas are known to cause immune dysregulation. We describe an atypical case of cutaneous cryptococcosis in a patient with acquired T cell immunodeficiency that has been found to be secondary to a type B3 thymoma with progression to carcinoma. CASE REPORT: A 63-year-old male presented with a chronic skin lesion confirmed as Cryptococcus neoformans on biopsy and an incidental mediastinal mass found during infectious work-up for the notable cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4)+ lymphopenia...