(Oho ex Ota) do Carmo-Sousa & van Uden (1967)
Macroscopic morphology
Colonies on Sabouraud dextrose agar at 25°C are finely cerebriform, lack a marginal zone, and often crack the agar. Colony size is 9-12 mm after 7 days incubation.
Microscopic morphology
On cornmeal following 72 hours incubation at 25°C, it produces true hyphae that disarticulate into rectangular arthroconidia measuring approximately 3-5 x 4-16 µm. Appressoria and sarcinae (septations within the arthroconidia) are formed [928].
Special notes
This isolate is urease positive, fails to grow on media containing cycloheximide, grows at 37°C, and has variable growth at 42°C. Type strains were isolated from the hair of a patient with white piedra of the groin. The species has been reported as an agent of peritonitis [493], endocarditis[1870], vulvovaginal trichosporonosis[1417], an invasive infections in two siblings with chronic granulomatous disease[2460], and of a lung abscess presenting as a penetrating chest wall mass[1810]. This species is the most frequently associated with white piedra of the groin, and in one repor, coexistsing with Candida parapsilosis[2215]. It has also been recovered from urine. Trichosporon inkin may be distinguished from T. asahii by formation of appressoria and from T. ovoides by lack of a marginal zone, lack of growth on cycloheximide, and development of sarcinae (septations within the arthroconidia). Source of infections is also important in separating the species, with T. inkin being primarily isolated from white piedra of the groin and T. ovoides being primarily implicated in white piedra of the scalp [925].
FTL* in vitro susceptibility data
| AMB | ITRA | FLU | 5FC | KETO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.125 µg/ml=1 | <0.0015 µg/ml=1 | 0.25 µg/ml=1 | 32 µg/ml=1 | 0.06 µg/ml=1 |
| 0.25 µg/ml=1 | 0.03 µg/ml=1 |
| Drug/N | AMB/2 | ITRA/2 | FLU/1 | 5FC | KETO/1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIC Range | 0.125-0.25 | <0.015-0.03 | 0.25 | 32 | 0.06 |
* Fungus Testing Laboratory unpublished data (NCCLS M27-A2)