Aureobasidium

• Includes Aureobasidium pullulans
• One of the black yeasts
• May contaminate metal, hardware in hospitals, commonly found as contaminants in clinical laboratories

Clinical Presentation

• Has previously been found in peritoneal dialysis catheters
• In severely compromised patients deep infections have been described, including blood, BAL, lymph nodes, splenic abscess or CSF

Diagnosis

• Culture
  • Colony: looks like a black yeast on culture
  • Microscopy:
    • Septate, hyaline hyphae becoming dark brown with age
    • Synchronous conidia (3 at a time) from irregular hyphae
• DNA sequencing can identify it further

Management

• No standard treatment but amphotericin B is recommended
• Some other sources quote fluconazole/flucytosine as possible agents