penicillium and trichophyton

1. FUNGAL
DISEASES
PENCILLIUM AND
TRICHOPHYTON

2. PENICILLIUM
Taxonomic position
• Kingdom : Fungi
• Phylum : Ascomycota
• Class : Euascomycetes
• Order : Eurotiales
• Family : Trichomaceae
• Genus : Pencillium

3. OCCURRENCE
• Cosmopolitan genus
• Commonly called as Green molds
• Penicillium spp. are widespread and are found in soil, decaying vegetation, and
the air.
• It was accidently discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928, who was working on
bacteria and his culture got contaminated by Penicillium notatum

4. COLONY CHARACTERISTICS
• The colonies of Penicillium other than Penicillium marneffei are rapid growing,
flat, filamentous, and velvety, woolly, or cottony in texture.
• The plate surface initially white and become blue green, gray green, olive gray,
yellow or pinkish in time.
• The plate reverse is usually pale to yellowish.
• Penicillium marneffei is thermally dimorphic and produces filamentous, flat,
radially sulcate colonies at 25°C. These colonies are bluish-gray-green at center
and white at the periphery.

5. PATHOGENICITY AND CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
• Penicillium spp. are occasional causes of infection in humans and the resulting
disease is known generically as penicilliosis.
• Penicillium has been isolated from patients with keratitis, endophthalmitis,
otomycosis, necrotizing esophagitis, pneumonia, endocarditis, peritonitis, and
urinary tract infections, common in Immunocompromised persons.
• Some members like Penicillium verrucosum produces a mycotoxin, ochratoxin A,
which is nephrotoxic and carcinogenic.

6. PUBLIC HEALTH SIGNIFICANCE
• Penicillium marneffei is a pathogenic fungus and specifically infects patients with
AIDS who live at or visit Southeast Asia (Thailand and adjacent countries, Taiwan,
and India) where the fungus is endemic.
• The lymphatic system, liver, spleen and bones are usually involved. Acne-like
skin papules on face, trunk, and extremities are observed during the course of
the disease.
• Penicilliosis marneffei infection is often fatal.
• Mycotoxin produced by P
. verrucosum is also of great significance.

7. INHIBITORY QUALITIES
• Penicillium species are well known as inhibitors of other micro organisms
• The antibiotic penicillin (P
. chrysogenum) and the antifungal griseofulvin (P
.
griseofulvum) are produced by penicillium species.
• Penicillin used to treat infection caused by gram positive bacteria like
Actinomycetes spp. , Nocardia spp.

8. TRICHOPHYTON
Taxonomic classification
• Kingdom : Fungi
• Division : Ascomycota
• Class : Eurotiomycetes
• Order : Onygenales
• Family : Arthrodermataceae
• Genus : Trichophyton

9. OCCURENCE
• Trichophyton is a dermatophyte which inhabits the soil, humans or animals.
Related to its natural habitats, the genus includes anthropophilic, zoophilic, and
geophilic species.
• Trichophyton is one of the leading causes of hair, skin, and nail infections in
humans.

10. COLONY CHARACTERISTICS
• The growth rate of Trichophyton colonies is slow to moderately rapid. The texture is waxy, glabrous
to cottony.
• Surface is white to bright yellowish beige or red violet.
• Reverse is pale, yellowish, brown, or reddish-brown
Trichophyton mentagrophytes
SURFACE REVERSE

11. PATHOGENICITY AND CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Classification Disease Affected area Fungus
Cutaneous mycoses Dermatomycoses Keratinized layers of
body ; skin, hair and
nails
Trichophyton,
Epidermophyton and
Microsporum
Tinea capitis Scalp Trichophyton tonsurans
and other trichophyton
and Microsporum spp.
Tinea favosa Scalp, skin and nails T. schoenleinii, and
other trichophyton and
microsporum spp.
Tinea barbae Beard and coarse body
hair
T. verrucosum, T.
mentagrophytes and
other trichophyton and
microsporum spp.
Tinea corporis Smooth body skin T. rubrum, T.
mentagrophytes, all
dermatophytes
Tinea imbricate Smooth body skin T. concentricum

12. Classification Disease Affected area Fungus
Cutaneous mycoses Tinea cruris Groin T. rubrum, T.
mentagrophytes,
E. floccosum
Tinea pedis Feet, interdigital spaces
and soles
T. rubrum, T.
mentagrophytes, E.
floccosum and other
Trichophyton spp.
Tinea manuum Palms and fingers T. rubrum, T.
mentagrophytes, E.
floccosum and other
Trichophyton spp.
Tinea unguium Nails T. rubrum, T.
mentagrophytes, E.
floccosum and
Trichophyton spp.

13. PUBLIC HEALTH SIGNIFICANCE
• Dermatophytosis are infections of skin, hair, and nails caused by species of the
fungal genera Trichophyton, Microsporum, and Epidermophyton.
• These infections are of public health importance because of their transmissibility
from human to human or from animal to human.

14. TINEA CAPITIS (T. SCHOENLEINII , T. TONSURANS)
Gray Patch

15. TINEA CORPORIS – BODY RINGWORM

16. TINEA CRURIS – JOCK ITCH

17. TINEA PEDIS – ATHLETE’S FOOT
INFECTION

18. TINEA UNGUIUM – NAIL INFECTION

19. DIAGNOSIS
• Note the symptoms.
• Microscopic examination of slides of skin scrapings, nail scrapings, and
hair. Often tissue suspended in 10 % KOH solution to help clear tissue. Slides
prepared this way are not permanent. These degrade rapidly due to presence
of base.
• Isolation of the fungus from infected tissue.
• Proper treatment is dependent on diagnosis and prognosis.