432 



BLASTOMYCOTIC DERMATITIS IN MAN 



in the original cultures varies from two to sixteen days, the majority 

 showing a growth in from two to eight days. Subcultures appear in 

 from two to five days. In gross appearances the cultures may show 

 slightly elevated, white, smooth colonies or irregular areas following 

 the track of the needle;. a translucent, gelatinous or yellowish-brown 

 and pasty growth; a roughly granular surface, which may eventually 

 form prominent folds and depressions; a light, white (in older cultures 

 slightly yellow or yellowish brown) fluffy growth, with short or long 

 aerial hyphae; or a central white^ elevated portion, which may be 

 fluffy or covered with short projections like white hairs, and which 

 is surrounded by a translucent, non-elevated zone. With very few 

 exceptions, the growth extends more or less into the medium and 

 becomes closely incorporated with it. 



FIG. 178 



FIG. 179 



Blastomycosis of the skin. Budding 

 organism in tissue. X 1200. 



Blastomycosis of the skin. Hanging 

 drop. X 1200. 



Moist preparations from the cultures may show budding organisms; 

 or fine, homogeneous, and branching mycelia, more or less segmented, 

 with or without lateral conidia, which may contain few or many 

 highly refractive bodies, varying in size. The latter are probably 

 spores, though in some instances they may be oil drops. Mingled 

 with the mycelium may be seen round, oval, or irregular double- 

 contoured bodies, varying greatly in size, and more or less filled with 

 highly refractive globular bodies. 



The organism in a number of the reported cases has formed mul- 

 tiple metastatic abscesses through the general circulation and lead to 

 death. The blastomycotic infection in man as the similar infection 

 in the horse in pseudofarcy is, therefore, a dangerous disease. 



