All of the following causes subcutaneous fungal infections except: September 2007

Ans. A: Blastomycosis A. Superficial mycoses These affect the outer layers of the skin, the nails and hair. The main groups of fungi causing superficial fungal infections are: - Dermatophytes-Trichophyton, Microsporum and epidermophyton - Yeasts i.e. candida, malassezia, piedra - Moulds. B. Deep mycoses Subcutaneous mycoses These involve the deeper layers of the skin (the dermis, subcutaneous tissue and even bone). The causative organisms normally live in the soil living on rotting vegetation. They can get pricked into the skin as a result of an injury but usually stay localised at the site of implantation. Deeper skin infections include: - Mycotic mycetoma - Chromoblastomycosis - Sporotrichosis - Rhinosporodiosis Systemic fungal infections Systemic mycoses may result from breathing in the spores of fungi, which normally live in the soil or rotting vegetation or as oppounistic disease in immune compromised individuals.The result is most often a mild infection and long lasting resistance to fuher attack, but occasionally these infections are more serious and chronic (especially in the immune suppressed). The organisms causing systemic fungal infections include: - Histoplasmosis - Coccidioidomycosis - Cryptococcosis - Blastomycosis - Paracoccidioidomycosis