The genus name Conidiobolus was first introduced in 1884 by Brefeld and was proposed due to differences in its conidia.[5]
Members of this genus are typically saprophytic, living in the soil with vegetation and decaying organic matter. They are most commonly found in tropical regions. [6]
In the Conidiobolus genus, at least four types of asexual conidia have been reported. Sexual structures (zygospores) have been found in most of the members in this genus, but not in C. coronatus. [7] However, while growing in water agar plates, C. coronatus develops villose conidia, a unique taxonomic characteristic used for its identification in clinical isolates. [8]
The hyphae are broad, thin walled and occasionally septate. They are best visualized with hematoxylin and eosin when viewing clinical specimens.[9]
For Conidiobolus, the best environment for germination is achieved with high humidity from 98 to 100% and temperatures between 16 and 30 °C.[7]
Medical Relevance
Conidiobolomycosis in humans was first described in 1961 based on histopathological analysis of a facial lesion. The first well-documented case of human Conidiobolus infection was in an 11-year-old from the Grand Cayman Island. [10]
Conidiobolomycosis is most common in the rainforests of Africa, South and Central America, and Southeast Asia. There is a significant predominance of cases in males, particularly those who work and live in tropical rainforests.[9] Some isolated cases from the United Kingdom and the East coast of the United Sates have been reported.[11]
In endemic areas, basidiobolomycosis and conidiobolomycosis can most easily be distinguished from one another by the anatomic location of the infection and the age of the patient. The diagnosis is typically made by biopsy of the infected tissue. [9]
Treatment
No single drug has been proven to be effective in treating all Conidiobolus cases, and due its rarity, no treatment regimens have been directly compared to determine the best course. Amphotericin B exhibits relatively high MICs, while itraconazole and ketoconazole have good in vitro activities.[6] In addition to antifungal therapy, surgical debridement may be necessary.
Species
As of 2018 MycoBank included the following species of Conidiobolus:[12]
12Versalovic, James; American Society for Microbiology, eds. (2011). Manual of clinical microbiology (10thed.). Washington, DC: ASM Press. ISBN978-1-55581-463-2.
123Kauffman, Carol A.; Pappas, Peter G.; Sobel, Jack D.; Dismukes, William E. (2011). Essentials of Clinical Mycology. SpringerLink Bücher (2ed.). New York, NY: Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. ISBN978-1-4419-6639-1.
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