Microsporum audouinii

Anthropophilic dermatophyte. In Europe M. audouinii has largely lost its importance. In the past, M. audouinii was clinically and epidemiologically significant as a pathogen of the "orphanage disease" or "microspore of children's heads". Spontaneous remission sometimes occurs only during puberty.

Cultivation: Especially good from infected hairs.

• Tinea capitis, microspores, tinea. Infestation of the hair, usually retroauricular, starting in the neck or at the back of the head.
• Infestation of the hair at the follicle orifice, downward growth of the mycelium in the hair to the keratinogenic zone and formation of a mosaic-like mantle of spores around the hair. Loss of elasticity and breakage of the hair.

• Comb hyphae, tennis racket hyphae, match hyphae.
• Microconidia: Rare, pear-shaped, single-chambered, lateral to the hyphae.
• Macroconidia: Rare, poorly developed, thick-walled, smooth-walled, irregular spindle shape with constrictions and sickle-shaped curves, length: 30-90 μm, width: 8-20 μm, 2-8 chambers.
• Chlamydospores: More often terminal than intercalated.

1. Elewski BE (2000) Tinea capitis: a current perspective. J Am Acad Dermatol 42: 1-20
2. Hay RJ et al (2001) Tinea capitis in Europe: new perspective on an old problem. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 15: 229-233
3. Gilaberte Y et al (2003) Tinea capitis in a newborn infected by Microsporum audouinii in Spain. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 17: 239-240
4. Gupta AK, Summerbell RC (2000) Tinea capitis. Med Mycol 38: 255-287
5. Larone DH (1995) in: Medically Important Fungi - A Guide to Identification, 3rd ed. ASM Press (Washington, D.C.)
6. St-Germain G et al (1996) in: Identifying Filamentous Fungi - A Clinical Laboratory Handbook, 1st ed. Star Publishing Company (Belmont, California)
7. Sutton DAAW et al (1998) in: Guide to Clinically Significant Fungi. 1st ed. Williams & Wilkins (Baltimore)