Abstract
Infections caused by Schizophyllum commune have recently been on the increase. We analyzed cases in which this fungus was isolated from clinical samples from 1991 to 1995. Regular morphological methods were first employed in the identification of S. commune, and when necessary, mating was made with a known S. commune isolate. IgG antibodies against S. commune in the patients' serum were determined by the ELISA method. Profiles of the cases were analyzed and the English-language medical literature was reviewed.
S. commune was isolated from 12 patients. Eighty three percent of the patients were female, most of which presented with allergy-related pulmonary diseases, i. e. allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis or mucoid impaction of bronchi. IgG antibodies were detectable in nine of eleven patients examined (82%). Fifty eight percent of the isolates were monokaryotic, and therefore, unidentifiable by regular morphological methods. In contrast, analysis of the English literature disclosed that sinusitis is the most common form of infection, and that hyphal invasion into the tissue was seen in 50% of reported cases.
Our study shows that S. commune should be regarded as a pathogenic fungus, and is infecting humans much more frequently than previously assumed. Further investigation is warranted.
