Cladophialophora spp

Widespread, common in the soil and on plant debris. C. bantiana has been reported as a neurotropic agent causing cerebral phaeohyphomycosis in the form of brain abscesses. Skin lesions have also been reported. The organisms has also been recovered from pulmonary sites. C. boppii has been associated with skin lesions and a possible cause of chromoblastomycosis. C. carrionii is almost exclusively associated with chromoblastomycosis, which is generally restricted to subtropical areas. Most patients have had long-term soil exposure with repeated trauma and tissue injuries to the feet and legs. No toxic diseases have been documented to date.

Cladophialophora is known as a mitosporic dematiaceous or pigmented mold. Rotten plant material and soil are its natural habitats. Some species will be predominant in subtropical and tropical regions.

Cladophialophora Species:

The Cladophialophora genus includes Cladophialophora bantiana, Cladophialophora carrioinii, Cladophialophora boppii, Cladophialophora devriesii and Cladophialophora arxii.

Clinical Significance and Pathogenicity:

Cladophialophora spp. is known as causative agents of chromoblastomycosis, mycetoma and phaeohyphomycosis. Cladophialophora bantiana is a neurotropic fungus and will cause cerebral phaehyphomycosis, which will apprear in the brain as abscesses. Clinical course for this problem is usually fatal. It can also cause the lesions on skin. While Cladophialophora carrioinii and Cladophialophora boppii are isolated from the patients with chromoblastomycosis, boppii may also cause the skin lesions. Exposure and trauma to the soil are the main predisposing aspects for acquiring the infections because of Cladophialophora carrioinii. The Cladophialophora bantiana is mostly acquired through inhalation. Alternatively, Cladophialophora devriesii has been known to cause the disseminated phaehyphomycosis.

Macroscopic Features:

Textures of the Cladophialophora colonies are powdery to woolly as well as spreading. Usually, the color will be olivaceous green to black from front. From reverse, it appears in black color. Cladophialophora bantiana and Cladophialophora boppi will grow rapidly on the potato dextrose agar even at 25°C. Growth of the Cladophialophora carrionii will be slow under the same settings. As Cladophialophora bantiana are capable of growing at high temperature as 42-43°C, the Cladophialophora carrionii will not grow at a temperatures beyond 35-36°C.

Cladophialophora spp will also produce septate, unicellular conidia and brown hyphae. Cladophialophora boppi and Cladophialophora bantiana may also create chlamydoconidia. The Conidiophores of the Cladophialophora are not differentiated from vegetative hyphae. The conidia will be in pale or dark brown and they frequently form the chains. The youngest conidium will be situated at the top of the chain, symptomatic of an acropetal conidium formation.

Cladophialophora bantiana will also produce long chains of smooth, unicellular, lemon-shaped conidia, which will be of 6-11x2.5-5 µm in size. There will be no shield cells on the conidiophore, which will support the formation. Cladophialophora boppi will produce unbranched and very long chains of round conidia that are of 2-3x3-4 µm in size. There are no shield cells observed and the conidia will directly appear from the conidiophores. The Cladophialophora carrionii will also produce long, abundantly unicellular, branching, lemon-shaped conidia that are smooth or occasionally echinulate.

Histopathologic Features:

Cladosporium are different from Cladophialophora as it has conidia with brown colored scars. While the Cladophialophora bantiana is capable of growing at 42-43°C, carrionii and many species of the Cladosporium will not grow at the temperatures above 35°C.
Unlike Cladophialophora spp., the Fonsecaea spp. produces short chains, which will have less than five conidia.

Laboratory Precautions:

The Cladophialophora bantiana is considered as an extremely dangerous fungus, which should be worked only in biological safety cabinet. Cladophialophora carrionii must also be handled with very much care in a closed and safe biological cabinet.

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