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==Background==

===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 of medical importance include:
**''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, if possble
*Treat underlying immunocompromise, if possible
*[[Amphotericin B]] (high dose) is the antifungal of choice, although [[voriconazole]] and [[posaconazole]] have also been used
*Some species are inherently resistant to amphotericin, so may need to treat with combination amphotericin and voriconazole until susceptibilities are available

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[[Category:Hyaline molds]]