3-36 An Introduction to Medical Mycology 



cated. The surface is powdery and honeycombed. At room temperature, 

 white cottony growths slowly develop, becoming brown with age. 



(d) Culture mount.— Multiple budding cells will be noted in material 

 removed from the colony grown on blood agar at 37 C. Mycelium, chlam- 

 ydospores and round cells containing endospores may be found in mounts 

 made from the growth at room temperature. 



(e) Animal inoculation.— In rats small lesions develop. Conant and 

 Howell were able to infect mice intraperitoneally and guinea-pigs intra- 

 testicularly. 



(f ) Differential diagnosis.— In tissue, the multiple budding cell is char- 

 acteristic. The culture may simulate that of B. dermatitidis. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 



Conamt, N. F., and Howell, A., Jr.: Etiological agents of North and South American blas- 

 tomycosis, Proc. Soc. Exper. Biol. & Med. 46:426, 1941. 



26. TORULA HISTOLYTICA (CRYPTOCOCCUS HOMINIS) 



This is the cause of torulosis (European blastomycosis). 



(a) Clinical characteristics.— The organism has a predilection for 

 nerve tissue. Headache, lassitude and other symptoms of involvement of 

 the central nervous system may be present. The spinal fluid is usually 

 under pressure. Cutaneous lesions and lesions in other organs (particularly 

 the lungs) may precede the meningitis. 



(b) Immunologic reactions.— Agglutination reactions are usually absent 

 (Benham). Extracts of the organism are said to elicit specific cutaneous 

 reactions in patients harboring the infection. 



(c) Microscopic features.— In centrifuged specimens of spinal fluid the 

 organism may be seen as budding cells of various sizes (5 to 20 microns). 

 A wet India ink preparation shows the wide mucinoid envelope ( capsule ) . 

 In tissue a capsule may also be noted. 



(d) Cultural characteristics.— On dextrose agar, at room temperature, 

 the growth is moist and cream-colored, later becoming yellow and then 

 brown. The surface is usually smooth. The colonies may grow slowly on 

 primary culture and more rapidly after subculture. 



(e) Culture mount.— No mycelium and no ascospores will be noted. 

 The cells are round or oval, and budding is commonly noted. If a preparation 

 is made in India ink (as recommended by Weidman and Freeman), the 

 capsule surrounding the cell will then be clearly observed. 



(f ) Filtered ultraviolet rays.— No change in color and no fluorescence 

 are to be noted. 



