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| Trichophyton mentagrophytes (1) |
My name is Shelly Meier and I am a graduate student at Western Illinois University. As a Master’s student I have enjoyed taking various classes, including Mycology and Medical Mycology. These classes sparked my interest in fungi and I have really enjoyed learning about all of the different infections and illnesses that can be caused by fungi that are present all around us. The Trichophyton fungi are rather common and hopefully as interesting to you as they are to me.
Taxonomy (3)
Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Ascomycota
Class: Eurotiomycetes
Order: Onygenales
Family: Arthrodermataceae
Background
Trichophyton fungi
are part of the Ascomycota phylum and can be characterized by the presence of microconidia
and macroconidida (2) (See pictures of macro
and microconidia). Trichophyton
causes a wide variety of hair, skin, and nail infections. This fungus can be
found in the soil as well as on humans and animals (1). It can be considered a
cosmopolitan fungus, but some species can only be found in certain areas(1).
Trichophyton
is a keratinophilic, filamentous fungus and is one of the main causes of
dermatophytosis in humans and animals. Dermatophytosis is simply an infection
caused by a dermatophyte, which is a fungus that survives by using the keratin
in substrates as its food source.
The cultures of Trichophyton spp. can have a waxy, to cottony texture and be white to bright yellowish beige or red violet on the front, and pale yellowish, brown or reddish brown on the reverse side (1).
Clinical Cases
For
more information and the entire case study visit: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=14&sid=874459a6-0b6f-495a-a884-6f411b90d0af%40sessionmgr4&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=65804040
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| Macroconidia of Trichophyton tonsurans (4) |
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| Microconidia of Trichophyton rubrum (4) |
The following chart is a list of some common
species and their habitats, as well as how often they cause an infection
| Species | Natural habitat | Incidence |
| Trichophyton rubrum | Humans | Very Common |
| Trichophyton interdigitale | Humans | Very Common |
| Trichophyton tonsurans | Humans | Common |
| Trichophyton violaceum | Humans | Less Common |
| Trichophyton concentricum | Humans | Rare* |
| Trichophyton schoenleinii | Humans | Rare* |
| Trichophyton soudanense | Humans | Rare* |
| Trichophyton mentagrophytes | Mice, rodents | Common |
| Trichophyton equinum | Horses | Rare |
| Trichophyton erinacei | Hedgehogs | Rare* |
| Trichophyton verrucosum | Cattle | Rare |
The cultures of Trichophyton spp. can have a waxy, to cottony texture and be white to bright yellowish beige or red violet on the front, and pale yellowish, brown or reddish brown on the reverse side (1).
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| Trichophyton tonsurans culture (2) |
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| Front side of culture Trichophyton tonsurans (2). |
Clinical Cases
Trichophyton mentagrophytes var.
erinacei transmitted from a hedgehog
to a human.
A 21 year old female had a scaly,
red, itchy plaque on the tip of her nose. She had been bitten by her pet
hedgehog 2 weeks prior to the first appearance of symptoms. The plaque was
determined to be Tinea faciei, caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. erinacei. The young woman was treated with topical and
systemic terbinafine 250mg/day for eight weeks (5).
For more information and the entire case study visit: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=14&sid=874459a6-0b6f-495a-a884-6f411b90d0af%40sessionmgr4&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=71839143
Invasive
cutaneous Trichophyton schoenleinii
infection in an immunosuppressed patient
A 65 year old man experiences asymptomatic red papules on his upper and
lower limbs as well as his forehead. The man had undergone a kidney transplant
3 months prior to the papules appearing. The papules were swabbed and the
culture grew what turned out to be Trichophyton
schoenleinii. The man was treated with intraconazoles and the papules soon
went away (6).
The following pictures are of some infections caused
by Trichophyton species. Some may not look bad, but if left untreated,
they can get worse and sometimes spread throughout the body.
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| Tinea capitis due to Trichophyton tonsurans (8) |
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| "Clinical presentations of some frequently observed fungal infections: (a) Tinea capitis due to Trichophyton tonsurans; (b) onychomycosis due to Trichophyton rubrum; (c) chronic oral candidiasis; (d) chromoblastomycosis; (e) histopathological appearance of an aspergilloma. (f) Cutaneous lesions in a patient with disseminate candidiasis"(9). |
Prevention
and Treatment
While a Trichopyton
infection can be treated, it is much easier and healthier to just prevent the
fungus from entering your body. Some prevention methods include:
- Daily bathing
- Making sure to dry off completely when done showering or swimming
- Be very cautious in public areas and always wear footwear
- Don't share items like brushes, combs, and nail clippers
- Good hand washing- frequently
- Any you should always practice all around good hygiene
This fungus can be
treated rather easily, depending on the infection. Most cases of cutaneous
infections topical treatments, such as intraconazole, or any azole can be used
for treatment. If the infection is very severe Amphotericin B may be
administered.
Useful Websites
| References | ||
| 1. http://www.doctorfungus.org/thefungi/trichophyton.php | ||
| 2. http://www.mycology.adelaide.edu.au/Fungal_Descriptions/Dermatophytes/Trichophyton/ | ||
| 3. http://www.speciesfungorum.org/names/Names.asp | ||
| 4. http://labmed.ucsf.edu/education/residency/fung_morph/fungal_site/dermatpage.html | ||
| 5. Concha M, Nicklas C, Fich F, et al. The
first case of tinea faciei caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes var.
erinacei isolated in Chile. International Journal Of Dermatology . March 2012;51(3):283-285. |
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| 6. Dan P, Rawi R, Hanna S, Reuven B.
Invasive cutaneous Trichophyton shoenleinii infection in an immunosuppressed
patient. International Journal Of Dermatology . October 2011;50(10):1266-1269. 7. Larone, Davise Honig, (2002). Medically important fungi: a guide to identification. ASM Press. 8.http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&biw=1024&bih=629&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=Z4Mk0zg1UCUqQM:&imgrefurl= http://reference.medscape.com/features/slideshow/tinea&docid=2zwW4ZbFt67ttM&imgurl=http://img.medscape.com/pi/features/ slideshow-slide/tinea/fig4.jpg&w=522&h=355&ei=K9KiT6G_HuLZ0QG_0IXVDA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=109&vpy=161&dur=301&hovh=133 |
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9.Jain,
Akansha, Shubham Jain, and Swati Rawat (2010). Emerging Fungal Infections among
Children:
A
Review on Its Clinical Manifestations, Diagnosis, and Prevention. Journal of
Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences 2.4: 314.
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