Onychomycosis caused by Scytalidium dimidiatum. Report of two cases. Review of the taxonomy of the synanamorph and anamorph forms of this coelomycete

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo Vol. 41; no. 5; pp. 319 - 323
• Main Authors: Lacaz, C S, Pereira, A D, Heins-Vaccari, E M, Cucé, L C, Benatti, C, Nunes, R S, de Melo, N T, de Freitas-Leite, R S, Hernández-Arriagada, G L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo 01-09-1999
• Subjects: Adult; AIDS/HIV; Antifungal Agents - therapeutic use; Female; Foot Dermatoses - drug therapy; Foot Dermatoses - microbiology; Hand Dermatoses - drug therapy; Hand Dermatoses - microbiology; Humans; Itraconazole - therapeutic use; Ketoconazole - therapeutic use; Male; Mitosporic Fungi - classification; Mitosporic Fungi - isolation & purification; Onychomycosis - drug therapy; Onychomycosis - microbiology
• ISSN: 0036-4665; 1678-9946

The authors report two cases of onychomycosis in the dystrophic form, one of them involving an HIV-positive patient, provoked by Scytalidium dimidiatum, previously called Scytalidium lignicola. The subject is reviewed from the taxonomic viewpoint, considering the anamorph Hendersonula toruloidea as a synonym of Nattrassia mangiferae, and having Scytalidium dimidiatum as the major synanamorph. According to many mycologists, Scytalidium hyalinum may be a separate species or a hyaline mutant of Scytalidium dimidiatum. Scytalidium lignicola Pesante 1957 was considered to be the type-species of the genus by ELLIS (1971)13 and later to be a "conidial state" of Hendersonula toruloidea by the same author, today known as Nattrassia mangiferae. The microorganism lives only on the roots of certain plants (mainly Platanus and Pinus). It produces pycnidia and is not considered to be a pathogen, although it is considered as a possible emerging agent capable of provoking opportunistic fungal lesions. The importance of this topic as one of the most outstanding in fungal taxonomy, so likely to be modified over time, as well as its interest in the field of dermatologic mycology, are emphasized.