Table 1: Comparison of fungal morphological diagnosis with clinical microbiology culture results.
Morphology |
Type of granuloma |
Specimen |
Morphological diagnosis |
Culture results |
1. Small yeasts with central dot |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Pneumocystis jiroveci |
No growth |
2. Small yeasts with narrow-based budding |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Histoplasma |
Histoplasma |
3. Septate branching hyphae |
Plasmacytic/Eosinophilic |
Lung |
Aspergillus |
Aspergillus niger |
4. Small yeasts with narrow-based budding and halos |
Non- necrotizing |
Lung |
Cryptococcus neoformans |
Cryptococcus neoformans |
5. Small yeasts with narrow-based budding and halos |
Non- necrotizing |
Lung |
Cryptococcus neoformans |
Cryptococcus neoformans |
6. Spherules |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Coccidioides spp |
No fungal culture performed |
7. Yeasts with narrow-based budding |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Histoplasma capsulatum |
No culture performed |
8. Hyaline branching |
Plasmacytic/Eosinophilic |
Lung |
Mold, not otherwise specified |
Aspergillus fumigatus |
9. Variably-sized (3-10 microns) budding yeasts |
Non- necrotizing |
Lung |
Capsule-poor Cryptococcus neoformans |
Cryptococcus neoformans |
10. Spherules |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Coccidioides spp |
No fungal culture performed |
11. Spherules |
Eosinophilic |
Lymph node |
Coccidioides spp |
Coccidioides spp |
12. Branching fungus |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Branching fungus |
Candida tropicalis |
13. Hyaline hyphae |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Aspergillus spp. |
Coccidioides spp |
14. Spherules |
Necrotizing |
Lymph node |
Coccidioides spp |
Coccidioides spp |
15. Septate branching hyphae |
Plasmacytic/Eosinophilic |
Lung |
Aspergillus spp. |
Aspergillus niger |
16. Spherules |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Coccidioides spp |
No growth |
17. Spherules |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Coccidioides spp |
Coccidioides spp |
18. Small yeasts with narrow-based budding |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Histoplasma capsulatum |
Histoplasma capsulatum |
19. Branching septate hyphae |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Branching hyphae |
No growth |
20. Spherules |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Coccidioides spp |
Coccidioides spp |
21. Small yeasts with narrow-based budding |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Histoplasma capsulatum |
No growth |
22. Spherules |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Coccidioides spp |
Coccidioides spp |
23. Small yeasts with narrow-based budding and halos |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Cryptococcus neoformans |
No culture performed |
24. Spherules |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Coccidioides spp |
No growth |
25. Large yeasts with broad-based budding |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Blastomyces |
Blastomycosis |
26. Spherules |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Coccidioides spp |
Coccidioides spp |
27. Spherules |
Sclerosing |
Lung |
Coccidioides spp |
Coccidioides spp |
28. Large yeasts with broad-based budding |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Blastomyces |
Blastomycosis |
29. Small yeasts with halos |
Non- necrotizing |
Lung |
Cryptococcus neoformans |
Cryptococcus neoformans |
30. Spherules |
Necrotizing |
Lymph node |
Coccidioides spp |
Coccidioides spp |
31. Spherules |
Necrotizing |
Lung |
Coccidioides spp |
No growth |