Nasal trichosporonosis in 2 mixed-breed ewes.

Two adult mixed-breed ewes were presented with a 2-wk history of upper respiratory disease. Both animals were depressed, with bilateral serosanguineous nasal discharge and harsh bronchovesicular sounds accompanied by crackles and wheezes on auscultation. One animal was recumbent and was euthanized at presentation. The other animal with similar signs, as well as exophthalmos, was euthanized because of a mass in the nasal passages. On autopsy, severe pyogranulomatous and necrotizing ethmoidal rhinitis with focal pyogranulomatous pneumonia was diagnosed in both animals. An intralesional fungal organism was identified in the nares and lungs of both animals. The organism could not be isolated via fungal culture but was identified as Trichosporon sp. by a PCR assay. Trichosporon spp. are rarely associated with disease in veterinary medicine. This ubiquitous fungus might cause disease following trauma to the nasal passages or secondary to immunocompromise.

Aspects related to biofilm production and antifungal susceptibility of clinically relevant yeasts of the genus Trichosporon.

Trichosporonosis corresponds to a systemic fungal disease that leads to high mortality rates and is frequently associated with medical devices. It affects immunosuppressed patients in particular and is strongly linked to acquired human immunodeficiency, organ and tissue transplants, and malignant hematologic diseases such as leukemia and lymphomas. Trichosporon infections have been increasingly reported worldwide; however, little information is available either about their characteristics or the causative microorganism. Thus, the aims of the present study were: to investigate 59 yeasts of the genus Trichosporon by verifying the biofilm formation capacity of isolates; to analyze the susceptibility patterns of planktonic cells against the antifungals fluconazole, itraconazole, amphotericin-B, voriconazole, and caspofungin by comparing European Committee for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) broth microdilution technique with the commercial method Etest; and to assess the susceptibility patterns of biofilm cells (sessile) against the same antifungals through broth microdilution. The ability to form biofilm on the surface of polystyrene plates was noted for all isolates, and 54.3% of samples were considered strong producers. Comparison between the antifungal susceptibility techniques evidenced that Etest showed higher and discordant minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) from those obtained by the microdilution method, especially for fluconazole, itraconazole, and caspofungin. Considering the susceptibility of biofilms, most species had high MIC50 and MIC90 against the tested antifungals, showing 4-to-66-fold higher concentrations for amphotericin B and 2-to-33-fold greater concentrations for caspofungin. These results highlight the importance of further studies with Trichosporon spp. for comparison between laboratory findings and in vivo response, considering both the susceptibility tests and the behavior of biofilm cells against drugs.

This study investigated 59 isolates of the medically important yeast Trichosporon in relation to their ability to form biofilms and the susceptibility of biofilms to antifungal agents. All isolates were able to produce biofilms and biofilms showed lower antifungal susceptibility.

Orthopedic infections due to Trichosporon species: Case series and literature review.

Reports of orthopedic fungal infections caused by Trichosporon species are extremely scarce, thus we aimed to describe a case series and review the cases published in the literature. Patients were retrospectively included if a previous culture of bone, joint, or soft tissues had resulted positive for Trichosporon species along with a clinical diagnosis of an orthopedic infection. Eight patients were included with diverse orthopedic conditions, most of them cases of osteomyelitis. The main isolated species was Trichosporon asahii. All patients were treated with antifungals, mainly voriconazole, and surgical management, resulting in high rates of clinical improvement and low associated mortality.

Reports of orthopedic infections caused by Trichosporon species are scarce. We described a case series of orthopedic infections caused by Trichosporon species and reviewed the previous published cases in the literature. We observed a high rate of clinical improvement and a low associated mortality.

Study on the bacteriostatic action of Chinese herbal medicine on avian Trichosporon.

In this study, a strain of Trichosporon was isolated from white pseudomembranes and ulcers formed on mucous membranes of pigeon bursas and was identified through gene sequencing. Bacteriostatic actions of Acorus gramineus, Sophora flavescens, Polygonum hydropiper, and Chinese herbal mixture on this species were explored in vitro, and the minimum inhibitory concentration of herbal medicines against Trichosporon was determined through microdilution method. Therapeutic effects of herbal medicines on chickens infected by Trichosporon were studied, whose results showed that minimum inhibitory concentration of A. gramineus was 32 µg/µL, that of S. flavescens was 2 µg/µL, that of P. hydropiper was 120 µg/µL, and that of Chinese herbal mixture was 36 µg/µL. Antibacterial effects of S. flavescens were the best. In accordance with animal experiments, therapeutic effects of Chinese herbal medicines on infected chickens were better than those of fluconazole. The mortality rate of the Chinese herbal medicine treatment group was 33.33%, that of the fluconazole treatment group was 46.67%, and that of the Chinese medicine protection group was 23.33%. The longer the time of Chinese medicine treatments was, the better the treatment effects would be. Glutamic oxaloacetylase values of the serum and liver in the Chinese herbal medicine treatment group were both significantly lower than those of the nontreatment group. From the results, it can be seen that A. gramineus, S. flavescens, P. hydropiper, and Chinese herbal mixture have certain inhibitory effects on Trichosporon spp. Chinese herbal medicine protections in advance could reduce Trichosporon infections.

Trichosporon asteroides Isolated from Cutaneous Lesions of a Suspected Case of "paracoccidioidomycosis ceti" in a Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).

"Paracoccidioidomycosis ceti" is a rare zoonotic fungal infection affecting dolphins and is endemic worldwide. The causative agents are Paracoccidioides species; however, it is impossible to isolate the fungal species. We isolated Trichosporon asteroides from multifocal, irregularly raised skin lesions on a female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) captured off coast of Japan, which was suspected to have "paracoccidioidomycosis ceti." An abundance of round, yeast-like cells was detected in a potassium hydroxide direct-mount specimen of the skin samples; however, nested PCR targeting the partial sequence of 43-kDa glycoprotein-coding gene correspondent to Paracoccidioides sp. was negative. Biopsied tissue samples were cultured on brain heart infusion agar plates supplemented with chloramphenicol, 1% yeast extract, and 4% sodium chloride (4% NaCl-BHI), on Mycosel agar with 4% sodium chloride (4% NaCl-Mycosel), and on potato dextrose agar supplemented with chloramphenicol (CPDA) at 35 °C for 4 weeks. Cream-colored and wrinkled colonies consisting of hyphae and arthroconidia grew on 4% NaCl-BHI and CPDA, while film-like colonies composed of arthroconidia and round yeast-like cells developed on 4% NaCl-Mycosel. Although these primary cultures resembled fresh isolates of P. brasiliensis, they were identified as Trichosporon asteroides based on routine mycological studies and the internal transcribed spacer regions of ribosomal RNA sequences. The results suggested that trichosporonosis caused by T. asteroides might remain latent among cases of "paracoccidioidomycosis ceti" diagnosed without cultures and molecular biological analysis.

Systemic Trichosporon loubieri infection in a cat.

Our study describes a case of systemic Trichosporon loubieri infection in a cat with acute dyspnea, anorexia, and aggressiveness. Physical examination revealed multiple ulcerative cutaneous lesions on the abdomen, neck, and thorax. Thoracic radiographs and ultrasound showed multiple mediastinal nodules and marked pleural effusion, respectively. A cutaneous biopsy from the ulcerated wounds revealed necrogranulomatous dermatitis and panniculitis with numerous intralesional fungal hyphae. Fungal culture on fresh swab samples from the cutaneous lesions yielded growth of a fungal organism that was further identified as Trichosporon loubieri by PCR and DNA sequencing. The cat was subsequently euthanized and submitted to autopsy. Gross pathology changes consisted of multifocal to coalescing white nodules ranging from 5 to 10 mm in diameter that expanded the mediastinal fat, intrathoracic lymph nodes, lungs, and costal pleura. These lesions consisted of areas of necrogranulomatous inflammation with numerous intralesional fungal hyphae morphologically similar to those observed in the cutaneous biopsy sample. Gross and histologic changes were consistent with a systemic fungal infection, and the etiologic diagnosis was supported by fungal culture. Fungal identity was confirmed by DNA sequencing of D1-D2 and TS1 regions.

Meningoencephalitis in a dog due to Trichosporon montevideense.

Meningoencephalitis due to infection with Trichosporon montevideense was diagnosed in a 4-year-old dog with a brief clinical history of rapidly progressing neurological signs that culminated in a comatose state. No significant gross lesions were found at post-mortem examination. Microscopically, a few scattered areas of pyogranulomatous inflammation with a few small, non-pigmented fungal hyphae were found within the cerebrum surrounding the lateral ventricles. A Trichosporon sp. was identified through culture of the brain and species was determined via sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region of the Trichosporon rRNA gene. DNA in-situ hybridization confirmed the diagnosis. This is the first reported case of Trichosporon-associated meningoencephalitis in a dog.