TAXONOMY 



313 



neries in the Northwest is, according to Kingery and Thienes/- 

 caused by this fungus. 



Bronchomoniliasis. Candida albicans is frequently isolated in 

 great numbers from sputum. If the sputum has stood at room tem- 

 perature for several hours the large numbers may be the result of 

 multiplication of the fungus in the sputum after its collection. The 

 fungus is capable of rapid growth in this medium and the examina- 

 tion and culture of old sputum 

 may give a wholly erroneous im- 

 pression of the mycological flora. 

 If the fungus is found in large 

 numbers in freshly collected spu- 

 tum one should look for lesions in 

 the mouth and throat. If it is 

 definitely established that the 

 fungus comes from the bronchi, its 

 etiological importance still re- 

 mains to be proved. C. albicans 

 can be found in the sputum from 

 very many types of pulmonary 

 disease, where it appears to be of 

 secondary or of no importance. 

 The isolation of this fungus from 

 sputum is therefore no valid rea- 

 son for returning a laboratory 

 diagnosis of moniliasis. It is 

 probable that Candida infection 

 of the lungs occurs and that it is 



sometimes of clinical importance, but the criteria for a diagnosis of 

 bronchomoniliasis are still debatable.*'- " 



Mycotic Endocarditis. Recently several cases have been reported 

 in which drug addicts who were accustomed to taking heroin intra- 

 venously developed a condition which clinically appeared to be sub- 

 acute bacterial endocarditis. From the blood stream or from lesions 

 of the heart after death, yeast-like fungi were isolated and the fungus 

 could be seen in the heart lesions. The fungus in all but one of these 

 cases was Candida parakrusei. In one case it was C. Guiltier mondi.-^ 



Taxonomy. There is a voluminous literature on the taxonomy of 

 these fungi. '^' ^- ^^' ^^' ^^' ^'' -^ It is generally recognized that the old 

 name, Monilia, is invalid for them, and modern usage favors the 

 generic name Candida. 



Fig. 126. Moniliasis of skin. Candida 



albicans in epidermal scales from 



"erosio interdigitalis." 



