REVIEW OF MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY

MEDICAL MYCOLOGY

1. infection should be treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole
2. is a strict pathogen
3. in infected tissues can not be detected by any stains
4. can be cultured on blood agar
5. can be treated effectively by ketoconazole

(A) Although the taxonomic position of P. carinii still remains uncertain, recent evidence suggest that this organism is a fungus instead of a parasite as previously believed. Human strains of this organism has not yet been successfully cultured. The organism causes a higly lethal pneumonia in immunocompromised patients and premature infants. It is an opportunistic pathogen. The cystic form of this organism in the tissue can be stained only with special stains such as methenamine silver, but not with Gram stain. Sporozoid and trophozoid forms can be stained with Gram stain. The drug of choice is trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. (Ryan et al, pp. 619-622)

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