View source for Fusarium

== Microbiology ==

* '''Macroscopic:''' colonies grow rapidly with wooly texture (sometimes mucoid), and white, yellow, pink, purple, or pale brown surface and pale, red, violet, brown, or blue reverse.
* '''Microscopic:''' septate hyaline hyphae. Microconidia are unicellular (sometimes bicellular) and hyaline, ovoid to ellipsoid, in chains or singly from denticles. Macroconidia are curved and multicellular, with a foot cell at the base. Chlamydospores may be present.
** The macroconidia are the typical finding used to identify ''Fusarium'' spp.

=== Species that cause disease ===

* ''F. solani'': most common overall, and a common cause of keratitis
* ''F. oxysporum'': second-most common
* ''F. verticillioides'': third-most common
* ''F. moniliforme''
* ''F. proliferatum''
* ''F. chlamydosporum''
* ''F. anthophilum''
* ''F. dimerum''
* ''F. sacchari''

== Epidemiology ==

* Ubiquitous, common in soil and organic debris, and a common cause of disease in plants.
* In humans, infection is rare and generally occurs after penetrating trauma.
* Disseminated and CNS disease is more common in immunocompromised hosts, including prolonged neutropenia.

== Clinical Manifestations ==

* Superficial
** Keratitis and endophthalmitis: big outbreak associated with contact lens solution back in the day
** Onychomycosis
** Skin and musculoskeletal infections (including mycetoma)
* Locally invasive
** Pneumonia
** Peritonitis associated with peritoneal dialysis
** Brain abscess
* Disseminated infection
** Fungemia: can be detected in blood culture
** Disseminated infection

=== Management ===

* Remove indwelling lines
* Treat underlying immunocompromise, if possible
* [[Amphotericin B]] (high dose) is the antifungal of choice, although vori and posa have also been used

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Fusarium'' species}}
[[Category:Hyaline molds]]