<原著>培養不能の真菌による膿胸の 1 例

Abstract

A 49-year-old businessman who had had hemoptysis and had been treated with antibiotics, chemotherapeutics, and corticosteroid hormone developed pulmonary empyema. The pus contained numerous soft, yellowish-white grains. When pressed between two slides and observed with a phase-contrast microscope, the grains were consisted of septate hyphae 3 to 4μ in width. No spores were found. The hyphae were sensitive to drying, and when dried on the slide their morphology was completely destroyed. Efforts were made to culture the grains on mycological and bacteriological media (87 attempts during 14 months of hospitalization), but the causative fungus could not be grown on any media used. Inoculation of the grains with mucin into mice and guinea pigs intraperitoneally and rabbits intrathoracically failed to produce any lesions, and no organisms were recovered from the organs of these animals.