144 



STUDY AND IDENTIFICATION OF MOULDS 



be cultivated in bouillon. In this it grows at bottom. Growth is dry and 

 chalky. In diagnosis look for the little granules. Curetting of the sinuses 

 may give the "ray fungus" when they are not found free in the pus. 

 Discomyces madura. This is a ray fungus found in the yellow " fish-roe" granules 

 of madura foot. The disease is caused by the penetration of certain species of 

 fungi into the tissues of the foot, although rarely the hand or some other part of 

 the body may be affected. These species of fungus develop in granulomatous 

 areas from which sinuses lead to the surface of the foot, in the discharges from 

 which are found small granules resembling those found in the discharges from 

 actinomycosis lesions. 



i?u^ n (ft\ .Cndomyces vuillemini 



(Q)(monilia or Oidium albicans) 



Cpidermophyton /y\ Coccidipid&s 

 cruria V I immitta 



Cryptococcujs 



linyuaa-piloaoe. QA Trichosporum giyanteum 



T. imbricata (aide view) 

 mycetorni 



homini, %% 



FIG. 42. Important tropical fungi. 



As a rule only one kind of fungus is found in a single case. The most common 

 infection is that due to Discomyces madura (Nocardia madura) which is the fungus 

 of the fish-roe like granules of the pale or white variety of mycetoma. These like 

 the fungus of actinomycosis, Discomyces bovis, show a felted mycelium in the center 

 and peripheral club-like structures. The granules are yellowish white and vary in 

 size from a pin's head to a small pea. The mycelial threads are very narrow, i to 

 iH microns. It grows aerobically and the cultures show slender mycelial threads 

 which are Gram-positive. This is the organism of Carter's white mycetoma. 



Other species of the pale, white or ochroid group of mycetoma fungi are Indiella 

 mansoni (Brumpt's white mycetoma) Nocardia asteroides (Musgrave and Clegg's 

 white mycetoma) Sterigmatocystis nidulans (Nicolle's white mycetoma) and several 

 others. 



