The conidial fungi are those members of the Deuteromycetes which produce asexual, nonmotile and usually deciduous propagules (conidia) by de novo growth from, or conversion of a fertile hypha (conidiogenous cell). Accommodated in this group of fungi are most of the important pathogens causing plant and animal, including human, mycoses, many species associated with food spoilage and release of mycotoxins (e.g., aflatoxins), numerous microbes employed in antibiotic production and other industrial processes, several fungi which are potentially useful in biological control and a large number of microorganisms which have aroused the interest of experimentalists in many disciplines of biological sciences. The conidial fungi clearly rank as a very significant group within the Division Mycota. In spite of the recognized importance of conidial fungi, the taxonomy of this group is still confusing and cumbersome. Workers are often frustrated while attempting to identify species using conventional keys for identification which are usually based on highly variable morphological characters such as conidial shape, septation and pigmentation, conidiophore arrangement and cultural features. Investigations of conidial and conidiogenous cell development have provided new, genetically stable and thus, taxonomically reliable data which the systematist can incorporate into existing classifications in order to yield a more functional system. It has been this relationship between conidiogenesis and taxonomy that has been the principal impetus for continuation of these studies. Examination of aspects of conidium ontogeny, however, has recently involved additional research areas such as ultrastructure, cytology, biochemistry, plant pathology and medical mycology. The taxonomy of medically important conidial fungi is particularly chaotic. Many species are capable of alternating between yeast and hyphal phases both in tissue and pure culture, which increases the difficulty of accurate identification of these microorganisms. The minute size of most pathogenic species of such genera as Phialophora, Exophiala, Cladosporium, Sporothrix and Histoplasma also places strain on the mycologist to identify these fungi based on light-microscopic examinations of morphological characters alone. Electron-microscopic investigations of conidial fungi have provided new and taxonomically significant information by revealing aspects of conidiogenesis which have clarified earlier developmental concepts and defined new categories of conidium and conidiogenous cell ontogeny. By correlation of data obtained by light- and electron-microscopic analyses, certain key morphological features which are recognizable with the light microscope can be used, retrospectively, for identification of a particular mode of development. Such correlation is necessary for the formulation of a functional classification in which developmental characters are employed. The categories of conidial and conidiogenous cell development described in this paper provide the basis for incorporation of such characters into existing classifications of conidial fungi.

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A 63-year-old male with solitary nodule on the left cheek is presented. The nodule is composed of amorphous material which completely filled up the whole dermis. Clinical and histochemical characteristics indicated colloid degeneration of the skin (plaque type). However, electronmicroscopically we found co-existence of colloid-like filaments and amyloid filaments in the material and finally we considered that the disease is one of the atypical type of primary localized cutaneous amyloidosis (tumefactive form).

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A 75-year-old female with malignant hemangioendothelioma was reported. Clinically, teleangiectasia, edema and multicentric, black, soft tumors in the scalp and the face are characteristics of this disease. Histopathological studies showed malignant proliferation of vascular endothelial cells. Light and electron microscopic histochemistry of the tumor revealed that endothelial cells forming complete or incomplete lumens or proliferating as bundles were positive for alkaline phosphatase activity. However, solitary, cuboidal, and atypical endothelial cells were negative for alkaline phosphatase activity. Chemotherapy failed to cure this patient, although X-ray radiation therapy was slightly effective. The patient, afflicted with this disease for eighteen months, died from deep and wide proliferation and metastases of the tumor to pleura and back bones.

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A 13-month-old girl gradually developed an erythematous plaque with patchy indurated areas on her left lumbar region, 10×5cm in size. A diagnosis of angioblastoma (Nakagawa) was made from the histopathological data of indurated area along with its clinical feature. The patient was successfully given a total dose of 2,000R of soft X-ray (Dermopan) irradiation. Sixty case-reports in Japanese literature are reviewed.

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Two cases of giant squamous cell carcinoma (T₄N₀M₀) successfully treated with cryosurgery were reported. Both cases were very difficult for radical surgical operation, and not so effective to chemotherapy or radiation. In the above cases, the neoplasma disappeared after the repeated cryosurgery. It is considered that cryosurgery is an excellent method for certain cases with squamous cell carcinoma.

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Four cases of trichotillomania were presented. All of the patients were 11-year-old girls. Two patients plucked hair from the scalp only and one of them also demonstrated trichophagia. One patient pulled out eyebrows and eyelashes as well as the scalp hair. And one patient extracted eyebrows, eyelashes and hair of the nostril without pulling out the scalp hair. Itching sensation was noted in three cases. None of the patients showed severe psychiatric symptoms, but all demonstrated emotional instability, anxiety and being frustrated. As to the personality, all the patients were introverted, nervous, self-critical and obsessive-compulsive. The mother-daughter relationship was always on the strain, and the patients were brought up under the conflict of overprotection and rejection. The difficulties in daily life usually predispose to hair-pulling. The trigger factors include the increasing tension in the family, the anxiety for fear of losing love objects especially the father, sibling rivalry, physical handicap, the overload of extra coaching lessons for the competitive entrance examination, etc. It reveals that supportive psychotherapy and environmental manipulation can help the patients to discontinue hair-pulling dramatically. However, the symptom may relapse easily in so some cases when the patients encounter difficulties again. For these cases, the ability to face problem should be strengthened and intensive psychotherapy may be needed. Among the present cases, those patients who only pulled out hair from the scalp showed better results than those extracted eyebrows and eyelashes.

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Urinary coproporphyrin and uroporphyrin in 71 patients with PCB-poisoning (Yusho) were analyzed. The control group was consisted of 180 persons who lived in the same residential area as the analyzed patients. The mean values of the urinary coproporphyrin in the patient group and the control group were 29.4μg/l and 30.6μg/l, respectively. It was obvious that there was no difference in urinary coproporphyrin between both groups. Urinary uroporphyrin was not detected in any subject except for one patient. His urinary coproporphyrin was 316.8μg/l, and uroporphyrin was 2514.8μg/l. This finding was highly suggestive of porphyria cutanea tarda. However, it was not clear that the relationship between PCB-poisoning and porphyria cutanea tarda in this patient.

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Antistaphylococcal α-hemolysin (AStaL) level was assessed in the sera from the patients with various skin diseases. Four out of 39 patients (10.3%) with chronic urticaria showed a high level of AStaL, and an increased AStaL level was noted in 1 out of 21 (4.7%) palmoplantar pustulosis patients.

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The authors discovered that exfoliatin producing strains could be isolated from diseases other than staphylococcal toxic epidermal necrolysis (STEN) or impetigo. Bacteriologic studies, especially on distribution of drug and metallic ion resistance among exfoliatin producing strains, phage typing and serotypes of exfoliatin were performed. The results were as follows: Exfoliatin producing staphylococci were also isolated from patients of the diseases other than STEN and impetigo. The percentage of exfoliatin producers from total strains tested in each body area revealed that besides the high frequency of exfoliatin producers in impetigo skin lesions, there was also a high frequency of exfoliatin producers in the nose-63% and throat-86%. The authors therefore suggest that internal antibiotics, besides external applications of antibiotics be used to combat not only STEN but impetigo. Of the available antibiotics, one of the most effective has proven to be CEX. The distribution of drug resistance and metallic ion resistance among exfoliatin producers indicated that, with the exception of CM and As, non exfoliatin producers had a slightly greater resistance than the exfoliatin producers. The distribution of drug resistance and metallic ion resistance by phage groups indicated that phage group I had the highest frequency of resistance, while phage group II had the lowest. Environmental pollution alone does not seem to be a significant factor in the occurrence of STEN or impetigo.

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The microbial flora of dermatitic skin of subjects with atopic dermatitis were investigated before and after performing ODT with either butexamac cream or betamethasone 17-valerate cream. Both Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermids were the predominant organisms in the lesions. ODT with steroid produced a significant increase in S. aurus density. However, no influence was observed after performing ODT with bufexamac.

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