BackgroundCoccidioides spp. is the ethiological agent of coccidioidomycosis, an infection that can be fatal. Its diagnosis is complicated, due to that it shares clinical and histopathological characteristics with other pulmonary mycoses. Coccidioides spp. is a dimorphic fungus and, in its saprobic phase, grows as a mycelium, forming a large amount of arthroconidia. In susceptible persons, arthroconidia induce dimorphic changes into spherules/endospores, a typical parasitic form of Coccidioides spp. In addition, the diversity of mycelial parasitic forms has been observed in clinical specimens; they are scarcely known and produce errors in diagnosis.MethodsWe presented a retrospective study of images from specimens of smears with 15% potassium hydroxide, cytology, and tissue biopsies of a histopathologic collection from patients with coccidioidomycosis seen at a tertiary-care hospital in Mexico City.ResultsThe parasitic polymorphism of Coccidioides spp. observed in the clinical specimens was as follows: i) spherules/endospores in different maturation stages; ii) pleomorphic cells (septate hyphae, hyphae composed of ovoid and spherical cells, and arthroconidia), and iii) fungal ball formation (mycelia with septate hyphae and arthroconidia).ConclusionsThe parasitic polymorphism of Coccidioides spp. includes the following: spherules/endospores, arthroconidia, and different forms of mycelia. This knowledge is important for the accurate diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis. In earlier studies, we proposed the integration of this diversity of forms in the Coccidioides spp. parasitic cycle. The microhabitat surrounding the fungus into the host would favor the parasitic polymorphism of this fungus, and this environment may assist in the evolution toward parasitism of Coccidioides spp.

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Actinomycetomas represent 97.8% of mycetomas in Mexico, where 86.6% are produced by Nocardia brasiliensis. We report a case of actinomycetoma in the arm by Nocardia brasiliensis disseminated to lung. Uncommon grains were observed which present outside peripheral filaments and also numerous filaments loosing the grains. These characteristics of the grains are due probably because for the long treatment with antibiotics of the patient. In situ antibiotic action against the microcolonies is discussed.

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e32215th ICID Abstracts / International Journal of Infectious Diseases 16S (2012) e317-e473 in distilled water and followed to dry. Each sample was grinded into powder by vortex and then 1g was poured into 100ml of sterile distilled water and stirred. Following, 1 mL of supernatant was inoculated into petri dishes containing Sabouraud dextrose agar then incubated at 25 • C for five days. The grown fungi were identified by standard mycological techniques based macroscopic and microscopic morphology.Results: A total of 132 peanut (n = 81) and pistachio (n = 51) samples, fungi were detected in almost 72% of the samples. The Aspergillus flavus was the most predominant isolate from peanut (19%) and pistachio (22%) samples. There was a significant relationship between A. flavus contaminations in the peanuts and pistachio with high humidity.Conclusion: Because of the isolation of high percentage of A. flavus as the main aflatoxins producer in nature we recommend also the need of good storage practices in order to prevent the occurrence of aflatoxins in peanuts and pistachio.