Fungal Mass Research Articles

Orbital Apex Syndrome in a Patient with Sphenoethmoidal Fungal Rhinosinusitis

A 65 years old lady with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus came with Right Eye (RE) vision loss after 7 day history of drooping of RE upper lid. RE showed painful ophthalmoplegia and complete ptosis. Otorhinolaryngologica l (E.N.T.) examination detected edematous mucosa and mucopurulent discharge from sphenoethmoidal recess. Computed Tomography (C.T.) scan showed bilateral sphenoid and right ethmoidsinusitis with no intracranial spread. Most of the lesions were located at orbital apex with no bony erosion, as confirmed with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Clinically, it was Orbital Apex Syndrome (OAS) due to noninvasive fungal rhinosinusitis. Treatment with antibiotics and antifungals was initiated. Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) was electively done on 7th hospital day. Fungal masses were removed from sphenoid sinus and sent for histopathological study. Microbiological study showed Conidiobolus coronatus as causative agent. Conidiobolus rhinosinusitis leading to orbital apex syndrome is very rare. Probably the first reported case in India.

Fungal inflammatory masses masquerading as colorectal cancer: a case report.

BackgroundNon malignant invasive tumors of the colon and rectum are very rare. Gastrointestinal Basidiobolomycosis can present as a mass lesion mimicking colorectal cancer.Case presentationA 56 year old Caucasian male was evaluated for abdominal and pelvic pain for 4 weeks complicated by acute urinary retention. Radiological evaluation showed him to have recto-sigmoid and cecal mass. Endoscopic examination and biopsies did not reveal a definite diagnosis. Computerized tomography guided biopsy of the mass showed fungal elements consistent with gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis. He was treated with Itraconazole for 12 months with very good clinical and radiological response.ConclusionBasidiobolomycosis of the gastrointestinal tract should be considered during evaluation of colorectal masses with atypical presentation. It is a rare entity seen more in endemic regions of the world for basidiobolomycosis including southwestern United States.

Comparison of Fungal Biofilm Formation on Three Contemporary Denture Base Materials

ABSTRACTStatement of problem: Modern polyamide ‘flexible’ denture base materials have increased in popularity for use in removable partial dentures in the last several years. The introduction of these newer products warrants investigation of their relative potential to develop fungal biofilms.PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of three denture base materials to support fungal biofilm formation.Materials and methodsSpecimens of two ‘flexible’ nylon type materials and one traditional heat processed, methyl methacrylate resin material were studied (both polished and unpolished surfaces). The specimens were coated with saliva and evaluated for fungal (Candida albicans) biofilm formation. The fungal biofilm mass formed on denture substrates were evaluated by dry weight analysis and by determining the number of viable fungal cells in the biofilm by MTT viability assay. Alteration in fungal metabolic function following the treatment of the biofilmC. albicanswith nystatin and fluconazole was determined by XTT assay.ResultsIn general, the unpolished surfaces of the denture disks favored the fungal biofilm, the most being on polyamide specimen, Valplast. Significantly, less biofilm was formed on Duraflex and Lucitone surfaces. Biofim on C. albicans was also found to be resistant to antifungal agents. As compared to freshly incubated (grown) planktonic cells, biofilm fungal cells required significantly higher concentrations of nystatin and fluconazole in order to obtain 50% reduction in metabolic activity.ConclusionThis study demonstrated the differences in denture materials to support fungal biofilm formation, and also difference between polished and unpolished denture material surfaces. The results demonstrated that one of the polyamide materials (duraflex) had lesser potential to biofilm formation than the others.Clinical significanceUnfavorable tissue responses can ensue from the presence of fungal biofilms on dental prosthetics. Resistance to biofilm formation is a factor for dental materials in their selection and usage. This study helps to quantify, evaluate and compare biofilm formation on polished and unpolished surfaces of three commonly used denture base materials. The results of this study helped to identify materials, which may, therefore, be better indicated in clinical applications. Evaluations for the newer denture base materials, specific to these testing methods, appear to be novel in the scientific literature.How to cite this articleJain V, Babu J, Ahuja S, Wicks R, Garcia-Godoy F. Comparison of Fungal Biofilm Formation on Three Contemporary Denture Base Materials. Int J Experiment Dent Sci 2015;4(2):104-108.

Characterizing airborne fungal and bacterial concentrations and emission rates in six occupied children's classrooms.

Baseline information on size-resolved bacterial, fungal, and particulate matter (PM) indoor air concentrations and emission rates is presented for six school classrooms sampled in four countries. Human occupancy resulted in significantly elevated airborne bacterial (81 times on average), fungal (15 times), and PM mass (nine times) concentrations as compared to vacant conditions. Occupied indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios consistently exceeded vacant I/O ratios. Regarding size distributions, average room-occupied bacterial, fungal, and PM geometric mean particle sizes were similar to one another while geometric means estimated for bacteria, fungi, and PM mass during vacant sampling were consistently lower than when occupied. Occupancy also resulted in elevated indoor bacterial-to-PM mass-based and number-based ratios above corresponding outdoor levels. Mean emission rates due to human occupancy were 14 million cells/person/h for bacteria, 14 million spore equivalents/person/h for fungi, and 22 mg/person/h for PM mass. Across all locations, indoor emissions contributed 83 ± 27% (bacteria), 66 ± 19% (fungi), and 83 ± 24% (PM mass) of the average indoor air concentrations during occupied times. An extensive data set of bacterial and fungal size-distributed indoor air concentrations and emission rates is presented. Analysis of these data contributes to an understanding of how indoor bacterial and fungal aerosols are influenced by human occupancy. This work extends beyond prior culture and DNA-based microbiome studies in buildings to include quantitative relationships between size-resolved bacterial and fungal concentrations in indoor air and building parameters such as occupancy, ventilation, and outdoor conditions. The work indicates that occupancy-associated emissions (e.g., via resuspension and shedding) contribute more to both bacterial and fungal indoor air concentrations than do outdoor sources for the occupied classrooms investigated in this study.

Diagnosis of gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis: a mini-review.

Basidiobolus ranarum (Entomophthoromycotina) very rarely affects the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. To date, reported paediatric GI basidiobolomycosis cases are 27 worldwide; 19 from Saudi Arabia and 8 from other parts of the world. Often these cases present a diagnostic dilemma, are prone to misdiagnosis and lack of disease confirmation by proper molecular methodologies. The fungal mass removed by surgery is usually sent for conciliar histopathology, isolation by fungal cultures and final molecular testing for basidiobolomycosis. The incidence of basidiobolomycoses, their predisposing factors and the molecular diagnosis of the fungus causing the disease in combination with a phylogenetic framework are reviewed.

Retinal Neovascularization and Endogenous Fungal Endophthalmitis in Intravenous Drug Users

Intravenous heroin abuse in persons aged 12 or older has nearly doubled between the years of 2002 and 2012.1 Intravenous drug users (IVDU) are a high-risk group for developing endogenous fungal endophthalmitis (EFE), with Candida albicans being the most commonly identified causative organism.2 EFE is a potentially blinding disease in which the causative organism reaches the eye through hematogenous dissemination. The frequency of chorioretinitis and endophthalmitis in patients with documented fungemia ranges from 2–26% and 0–6%, respectively.3 Factors contributing to poor visual outcomes include macular involvement, subretinal and choroidal neovascularization, retinal detachment, and insufficient or delayed treatment.4,5 However, to our knowledge, this is the first case series characterizing retinal neovascularization as a potentially blinding complication of EFE in IVDU.

English

The enrichment of edible mushrooms with lithium (Li) may be a strategy to provide forms of lithium that are more soluble and bioavailable for humans. Therefore, it is important to determine which species of fungi are able to grow in the presence of Li, and which concentrations of Li allow fungal growth. Twelve white rot fungi strains were grown in potato dextrose agar media, supplemented with 0 to 1.65 g L-1 lithium chloride (LiCl). The fungal growth rate, morphological alterations of the colonies, changes in the length of the lag phase, fungal dry mass, changes in hyphae diameter and cell length were evaluated. Most fungi had decrease in their growth rates and dry mass, and had macroscopic/microscopic morphological alterations at increasing LiCl concentration. Generally, the fungi were sensitive to LiCl. However, Pholiota nameko was moderately tolerant to LiCl and Pleurotus ostreatusroseus tolerate the highest LiCl level tested, suggesting that it is the most appropriate fungus for Li-enrichment.   Key words: Fungal enrichment, mycelial morphology, screening.&nbsp

Differences in Forage-Acquisition and Fungal Enzyme Activity Contribute to Niche Segregation in Panamanian Leaf-Cutting Ants

The genera Atta and Acromyrmex are often grouped as leaf-cutting ants for pest management assessments and ecological surveys, although their mature colony sizes and foraging niches may differ substantially. Few studies have addressed such interspecific differences at the same site, which prompted us to conduct a comparative study across six sympatric leaf-cutting ant species in Central Panama. We show that foraging rates during the transition between dry and wet season differ about 60 fold between genera, but are relatively constant across species within genera. These differences appear to match overall differences in colony size, especially when Atta workers that return to their nests without leaves are assumed to carry liquid food. We confirm that Panamanian Atta specialize primarily on tree-leaves whereas Acromyrmex focus on collecting flowers and herbal leaves and that species within genera are similar in these overall foraging strategies. Species within genera tended to be spaced out over the three habitat categories that we distinguished (forest, forest edge, open grassland), but each of these habitats normally had only a single predominant Atta and Acromyrmex species. We measured activities of twelve fungus garden decomposition enzymes, belonging to the amylases, cellulases, hemicellulases, pectinases and proteinases, and show that average enzyme activity per unit of fungal mass in Atta gardens is lower than in Acromyrmex gardens. Expression profiles of fungal enzymes in Atta also appeared to be more specialized than in Acromyrmex, possibly reflecting variation in forage material. Our results suggest that species- and genus-level identities of leaf-cutting ants and habitat-specific foraging profiles may give predictable differences in the expression of fungal genes coding for decomposition enzymes.

Effects of canopy opening and debris deposition on fungal connectivity, phosphorus movement between litter cohorts and mass loss

Fungi are important for maintaining fast rates of decomposition in low quality tropical leaf litter via immobilization and translocation of limiting nutrients from sources to sinks and conserving nutrients after disturbance. Tropical trees often have low nutrient to carbon ratios. Disturbances such as hurricanes and logging transfer a large mass of green leaves with high nutrient concentrations to the forest floor, but the associated opening of the canopy dries the litter, inhibiting basidiomycete fungi that play critical roles in lignin degradation and nutrient conservation. We conducted a replicated block factorial experiment designed to disentangle the individual and interactive effects of canopy opening and green debris deposition on phosphorus (P) content, mass loss and fungal connectivity in decomposing leaf cohorts in subtropical wet forest in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico. Though green leaves had higher P concentrations they did not decompose significantly faster than senesced leaves. Mass loss differed among treatments after 14, 40.5 and 53weeks decomposition. Mass loss at 7weeks was predicted by P concentration at 7weeks; mass loss in senesced leaves at 14weeks was predicted by abundance of fungal connections between the senesced litter cohort and forest floor at 7weeks. Fungal connectivity and P accumulation at 7weeks and mass loss of senesced leaves beginning at 14weeks were significantly different from and lower in plots with trimmed canopy and no debris than in the untrimmed plots with debris. Litter moisture was previously found to be significantly lower under open than closed canopy, and we found that moisture was a significant predictor of fungal connectivity in both senesced and green leaves. Deposition of green leaves ameliorated the inhibitory effect of canopy opening on fungal connectivity between litter cohorts by retaining moisture; consequently fungal connectivity and mass loss in senescent leaves did not differ between the Trim+Debris and the control treatments. Phosphorus content of senesced leaves increased significantly by 7weeks in both trimmed and untrimmed plots with added green debris and in the control plots. Based on mass balance calculations, both the underlying forest floor and overlying green leaves likely contributed P to the decomposing senesced leaf cohort. Fungal translocation of P through hyphal connections between litter cohorts explains some of the changes in P content. Though fungi were important in conserving P, most of the P that was likely leached from green leaves was not retained in the litter layer.

Pulmonary Diseases with Imaging Findings Mimicking Aspergilloma

Patients with preexisting lung cavities are at risk of developing intracavitary fungal colonization. Because Aspergillus spp. are the most commonly implicated fungi, these fungal masses are called aspergillomas. Their characteristic "ball-in-hole" appearance, however, may be found in a variety of other conditions that can produce radiologic findings mimicking aspergilloma. In this paper, we review the main diseases that may mimic the radiographic findings of aspergilloma, with brief descriptions of clinical, radiologic, and histopathologic findings.

Fungal ball in urinary tract, a rare entity, which needs a specific approach

A fungal mass in the urinary tract (fungus ball), mainly occurring in compromised patients, is a rare and dangerous complication of candiduria. We report 2 cases of fungus ball associated with hydronephrosis and sepsis. As reported in the literature, we treated the first patient by prompt relief of obstruction by nephrostomy and local and systemic antifungal agent. The second patient failed to respond to this treatment due to a distal ureteral stenosis and required open surgery with fungus ball removal and ureteral reimplantation. Despite a large success in urinary tract drainage with antifungal treatments, some cases need a modified approach due to anatomical modification.

Fungal Mass in the Concha Bullosa: A Rare Entity

ABSTRACT The enlargement of the middle concha as a pneumatized cavity is defined as concha bullosa. Concha bullosa is one of the most frequently encountered anatomic variations inside the nose. Polyps, submucous cysts, ossifying fibromas and pyoceles have been found in concha bullosa. This is a case report where fungal mass was seen inside the concha bullosa. Clinicians should be aware that a chronic rhinosinusitis that is unresponsive to normal management with a hyper dense focus is highly suggestive of fungal ball. How to cite this article Sasindran V, Joseph A, Abraham SS, Gautam A. Fungal Mass in the Concha Bullosa: A Rare Entity. Clin Rhinol An Int J 2014;7(3):132-134.

An Unusual Presentation of Fungal Mass in Concha Bullosa

Fungal infection usually involves the paranasal sinuses. This is a rare case of fungal mass in concha bullosa. A 19-year-old immunocompetent female patient presented with nasal obstruction. Anterior rhinoscopy revealed enlarged middle turbinate on left side. CT showed heterogenous opacity and enlargement of left middle turbinate. Intraoperatively, middle turbinate was found to be filled with cheesy material which was culture positive for Aspergillus fumigatus.

First Report of Colletotrichum chlorophyti Infecting Soybean Seed in Arkansas, United States.

Colletotrichum chlorophyti was first reported in the United States in 2009 on soybean petioles (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) collected from Alabama, Illinois, and Mississippi (4). This species has not been reported to infect seed, unlike other Colletotrichum spp. (2). From the 2012 growing season, soybean seeds obtained from the National Agricultural Statistics Service representing 151 seed lots from growers' fields in 11 states were assayed by plating them on acidified potato dextrose agar (APDA). Before plating, seeds were surface disinfected by sequential immersion in 50% ethanol for 30 s, 20% commercial bleach for 1 min, two 1 min rinses in sterile distilled water, and kept at 25°C in the dark for 1 week. Infected seeds from one seed lot from Arkansas produced colonies similar to Colletotrichum spp. This seed lot was visually examined and divided into asymptomatic or discolored symptomatic seeds. Because of the limited number of seeds in the seed lot, 20 seeds that asymptomatic and 40 seeds that appeared symptomatic were assayed on APDA as previously described. Asymptomatic seeds did not produce any dark fungal colonies. Among the symptomatic seeds, five appeared to have flecked light gray seed coats with some larger grayish to black and irregular spots where cracks were sometimes formed, and they developed small black fungal masses or became entirely dark on the surface. Five fungal isolates were obtained from these infected seeds. On APDA, the isolates initially produced white to pink smooth-margined colonies, turned black with age, produced no aerial growth, and filled a 9 cm diameter petri dish within 10 days. DNA of one isolate was extracted for PCR and sequencing of the ITS region with ITS1 and ITS4 primers (3). From the BLAST analysis, the sequence was 100% identical to C. chlorophyti isolates, IMI 103806, and CBS 142.79 (Accession Nos. GU227894 and GU227895, respectively). To test for pathogenicity, the fungus was sub-cultured on APDA and eight APDA discs (4 mm diameter) were set into 50 ml potato dextrose broth inside a 250-ml flask and shook at a speed of 100 rpm at room temperature (24 ± 1°C) for 10 days. The mycelium was then weighed, fragmented with a blender, and resuspended in sterile distilled water to a final concentration of ~40 mg/ml. The mycelial suspension was sprayed on soybean seedlings of cv. Williams 82 (two plants/pot) at growth stage V1 to V2 until runoff. The inoculated plants were kept in a moist chamber (>90% relative humidity) for 48 h at 24 ± 1°C in the dark, and then transferred to normal plant growing conditions. At 5 days post-inoculation (dpi), the leaves showed typical symptoms caused by C. chlorophyti, including necrosis on the edge of young leaves and petioles, formation of irregular dark brown lesions, and leaves became scrolled (4). Setose acervuli, curved conidia with tapered ends (21.4 ± 1.1 × 3.8 ± 0.3 μm), and chlamydospores were found on the detached symptomatic leaves after 12 dpi. No perithecia formed. The morphology matched the description of C. chlorophyti (1,4). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. chlorophyti in Arkansas and the first time that this species has been reported infecting seed of any plant.

Improved efficacy in onychomycosis therapy

The success rate of onychomycosis treatment is limited by several factors, including the access of the therapeutic agent to the fungal mass, the presence of conidia, and the susceptibility of the different infectious agents to the antifungals. Different strategies used to improve efficacy of the currently available antifungal treatments, their rationale, and the published evidence of their beneficial effects are reviewed. An improved efficacy was demonstrated for some of these strategies, such as combined oral and topical antifungal therapies, whereas most of them lack clear and direct evidence of an increase in therapeutic success.

Giant Candida Mycetoma in an Ascending Aorta Tubular Graft

We report the case of a 46-year-old male hospitalized for abdominal pain and fever with history of a David procedure followed by an aortic valve replacement due to severe aortic regurgitation. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and computed tomography showed a large mass floating in the aorta. After surgical excision of the vegetation, attached to the Dacron prosthesis, histological examination revealed Candida hyphae and spores confirming the diagnosis of a mycetoma in an ascending aorta tubular graft. At six-month follow-up, the patient was in good clinical condition without recurrence of the fungal mass on TEE.

Cutaneous mycosis in a Barbastelle bat (Barbastella barbastellus) caused by Hyphopichia burtonii

A rare barbastelle bat (Barbastella barbastellus) died shortly after being found in emaciated condition in Devon, England. The skin over the muzzle and face was grossly thickened, crusty, and in places was sloughing and ulcerated. There were numerous nodules up to 3 mm in diameter on both wings and ear pinnae. Histologically, multiple foci of epidermal hyperplasia, hyperkeratosis, and crateriform erosions containing masses of fungal spores and septate hyphae were found in the wing. Epidermal hyperplasia and follicular hyperkeratosis, with fungal masses within keratinized follicles and also in fissured stratum corneum, were found in the pinna. Hyphae did not invade the dermis, and there was no inflammation, but there was multifocal serous exudation and crusting. No parasites or other significant organisms were identified. Microscopic and multiple cultural analyses of face and wing lesions demonstrated (10/10) a fine, septate fungus bearing laterally oval to clavate conidia; morphologically and culturally this was entirely consistent with Hyphopichia burtonii, and polymerase chain reaction analysis and sequencing gave 100% identity with the type strain. The organism isolated was morphologically consistent with that repeatedly seen in histology sections and demonstrates that although H. burtonii has not previously been recognized as a dermatophyte, it clearly has the ability to invade the skin of live bats. Although not identical, the lesions in this case show similarity with those of white nose syndrome and therefore H. burtonii should be considered as a potential pathogen of bats.

Adsorption of mercury from aqueous solution by nontronite, Aspergillus niger, and hybrid material

A natural nontronite clay sample from the Amazon region (Tocantins State, Serra da Messa Group, Brazil) was utilized for synthesis of a new biomaterial produced by a hybridization process of inorganic and organic materials. The new biomaterial was composed of an Amazon nontronite and fungal mass obtained from the Aspergillus niger fungus. The natural clay, biomass, and biomaterial samples were used in batch studies for adsorption of Hg2+ ions from aqueous solution. The effects of stirring time, adsorbent dosage, and pH on the adsorption capacity demonstrated that 70 min is sufficient to reach equilibrium at room temperature and over a pH range of 6.0–8.0. The maximum number of moles adsorbed was 9.47, 17.8, and 18.7 mmol g–1 for natural clay, biomass, and biomaterial, respectively. From the cation/basic center interactions for each material at the solid–liquid interface, by using calorimetry, the equilibrium constant and exothermic thermal effects were calculated. By considering the net interactive number of moles for mercury ion and the equilibrium constant, the enthalpy and negative Gibbs free energy could be calculated: ΔintH = −6.8 ± 0.11 to −6.0 ± 0.22 kJ mol–1; ΔintG = −20.5 ± 0.25 to −23.2 ± 0.22 kJ mol–1. The thermodynamic values indicated the existence of favorable conditions for interactions at the solid–liquid interface.

Biotransformation of vinblastine to vincristine by the endophytic fungus Fusarium oxysporum isolated from Catharanthus roseus

A fungal transformation method for the production of the less abundant but more valuable anticancer drug vincristine using the more abundant anticancer drug vinblastine by an endophytic fungus Fusarium oxysporum isolated from the plant Catharanthus roseus is described. Vinblastine dissolved in sterile water when incubated with the fungal mycelial mass was transformed into vincristine at room temperature. The biotransformation process was monitored by periodic sampling of aliquots that were extracted with ethyl acetate. The crude transformed compounds were analysed using TLC where the Rf value of the spot obtained on the 8th day was found to be similar to that of standard vincristine (Rf 0.74). Purification by HPLC using a C 18 symmetry column showed a peak with RT (34.9 min) similar to that of standard vincristine. Further characterization with the help of ESI-MS showed a peak at m/z 825 attributed to the (M + H)+ ion. This indicated that the fungus Fusarium oxysporum had converted vinblastine to vincristine.

Dynamics of fungi and fungivorous microarthropods in a Mediterranean maquis soil affected by experimental fire

In a Mediterranean area of Southern Italy, affected by low- and high-severity experimental fires, burned and unburned soils were analysed, at 245, 364 and 728 days after fire, for total and active fungal mycelium mass, abundance, species density and species composition of total, xerotolerant and heat-stimulated culturable fungi, oribatid mites and springtails. Principal Component Analysis was used to compare species composition of fungal community and faunal groups in burned and unburned plots. Independently of severity, fire generally caused a decrease in fungal mass, an increase in culturable total, xerotolerant and heat-stimulated fungi abundance (CFU), and minor changes in fungal species density. In parallel, fire induced a reduction in abundance and species density of studied faunal groups, generally correlated with fungal changes, and was consistently associated with the appearance of fungal and faunal species not present in control. Moreover, qualitative and quantitative changes in fungal community and faunal groups were recorded in association with sampling time. The results also suggested that the mosaic of burned and unburned areas, typical of a Mediterranean maquis affected by fire, could promote biodiversity in soil by favouring the contemporary presence of species typical of disturbed and undisturbed areas.