PHEOHYPHOMYCOSIS CAUSED BY PHAEOACREMONIUM INFLATIPES

Phaeoacremonium inflatipes, one of three species previously classified as strains of Phialophora parasitica, was identified as the causal ag ent of a subcutaneous infection of the left foot of an 83-year-old wom an from South Carolina, The patient had a granulomatous growth over th e anteromedial aspect of her left foot. It was surgically excised, whi ch led to complete healing,without complications, Tissue sections of t he excised mass stained with hematoxylin and eosin and Gomori's methen amine silver strains showed many septate hyphal elements of various le ngths, some exhibiting brownish pigment in the cell walls of the hypha e, Portions of the tissue, when cultured, yielded many colonies which were initially glabrous, off white becoming velvety, greyish brown on aging. Microscopically, their hyphae were septate, branched, and phaeo id and bore lateral and terminal, erect, septate conidiophores. The co nidiogenous cells (phialides) were terminal or lateral, mostly monophi alidic, subcylindrical to spinelike in shape, and constricted at their bases and bore funnel-shaped, inconspicuous collarettes at their tips . The conidia were subhyaline, oblong, and ellipsoid to allantoid.