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Chaetomium spp.
(described by Kunze in 1817)
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Kingdom: Fungi
Phylum: Ascomycota
Class: Euascomycetes
Order: Sordariales
Family: Chaetomiaceae
Genus: Chaetomium
Chaetomium is a dematiaceous filamentous fungus found in soil, air, and plant debris. As well as being a contaminant, Chaetomium spp. are also encountered as causative agents of infections in humans. Some species are thermophilic and neurotropic in nature [1295, 2202].
The genus Chaetomium contains several species. The most common ones are Chaetomium atrobrunneum, Chaetomium funicola, Chaetomium globosum, and Chaetomium strumarium.
See the summary of synonyms for the Chaetomium spp.
Chaetomium spp. are among the fungi causing infections wholly referred to as phaeohyphomycosis. Fatal deep mycoses due to Chaetomium atrobrunneum have been reported in an immunocompromised host. Brain abscess, peritonitis, cutaneous lesions, and onychomycosis may also develop due to Chaetomium spp. [531, 776, 940, 1937, 2202].
Chaetomium colonies are rapidly growing, cottony and white in color initially. Mature colonies become grey to olive in color. From the reverse, the color is tan to red or brown to black [531, 1295].
Septate hyphae, perithecia, asci and ascospores are visualized. Perithecia are large, dark brown to black in color, fragile, globose to flask shaped and have filamentous, hair-like, brown to black appendages (setae) on their surface. Perithecia have ostioles (small rounded openings) and contain asci and ascospores inside. Asci are clavate to cylindrical in shape and rapidly dissolve to release their ascospores (4 to 8 in number). Ascospores are one-celled, olive brown in color, and lemon shaped [531, 1295].
No special precautions other than general laboratory precautions are required.
Very few data are available and there is as yet no standard method for in vitro susceptibility testing of Chaetomium spp. While MICs of amphotericin B, ketoconazole, itraconazole, and miconazole were acceptably low, those of fluconazole and flucytosine appeared very high when a small number of Chaetomium atrobrunneum, Chaetomium funicola, and Chaetomium globosum isolates were tested [920, 1855]
PubMed
GenBank
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Perithecium of Chaetomium |
Ascospores and asci of Chaetomium |
Ascospores and asci of Chaetomium
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References
531. de Hoog, G. S., J. Guarro, J. Gene, and M. J. Figueras. 2000. Atlas of Clinical Fungi, 2nd ed, vol. 1. Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
776. Friedman, A. H. 1998. Cerebral fungal infections in the immunocompromised host: A literature review and a new pathogen - Chaetomium atrobrunneum: Case report - Comment. Neurosurgery. 43:1469.
920. Guarro, J., L. Soler, and M. G. Rinaldi. 1995. Pathogenicity and antifungal susceptibility of Chaetomium species. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 14:613-618.
940. Guppy, K. H., C. Thomas, K. Thomas, and D. Anderson. 1998. Cerebral fungal infections in the immunocompromised host: A literature review and a new pathogen - Chaetomium atrobrunneum: Case report. Neurosurgery. 43:1463-1469.
1295. Larone, D. H. 1995. Medically Important Fungi - A Guide to Identification, 3rd ed. ASM Press, Washington, D.C.
1855. Pujol, I., J. Guarro, C. Llop, L. Soler, and J. Fernandez-Ballart. 1996. Comparison study of broth macrodilution and microdilution antifungal susceptibility tests for the filamentous fungi. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 40:2106-2110.
1937. Rock, J. P. 1998. Cerebral fungal infections in the immunocompromised host: A literature review and a new pathogen- Chaetomium atrobrunneum: Case report - Comment. Neurosurgery. 43:1469.
2202. Sutton, D. A., A. W. Fothergill, and M. G. Rinaldi (ed.). 1998. Guide to Clinically Significant Fungi, 1st ed. Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore.
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