362 6 Fungi as Human Pathogens Opportunistic Mycoses (OM) Opportunistic mycoses (OM) that affect skin and mucosa as well as inter nal organs are caused by both yeast and molds. A precondition for develop- ‘ment of such infections is a pronounced weakness in the host's immune de- fenses. Candidiasis is an endogenous infection. Other OMs are exogenous in- fections caused by fungi that naturally inhabit the soil or plants. These en- vironmental fungi usually invade via the respiratory tract, The most impor- tant are aspergillosis, cryptococcosis, and the mucormycoses. Besides Candi daand other yeasts, phaeohyphomycetes and hyalohyphomycetes, which are ‘only very mildly pathogenic, can also cause systemic infections. All OMs have a primary infection focus, usually in the upper or lower respiratory tract. From this focus, the pathogens can disseminate hematogenously andjor lym- phogenously to infect additional organs, Infection foci should be removed surgically Candida (Soor)‘Atleast 70% of all human Candida infections are caused by C albicans, the rest by C. parapsilosis,C. tropicalis, C. quillermondii, C. kruzet, and a few other rare Candida species. Yeastcells Pseudomycelium Mycelium a Fig.62_ Candido abicons. {a Morphological forms. 'b Gram staining of sputum: Gram-positive yeast cells and hyphae. Clnical diagnosis: candidiasis of the respiratory tract. Kayser, Medical Microbiology © 2005 Thieme ‘Atti reserved. Usage Subject tots ad condtons of censeMedical Microbiology “ 8 Ps FH. Kayser KA. Bienz J. Eckert R.M. Zinkernagel a Sea *