Date: 10 February 2014
An aspergilloma (or fungal ball) is a mass of fungus found inside the body, for example inside cavities such as the lungs or sinuses, or as abscesses in organs such as the brain or kidney. They are made up of threadlike fungal strands (hyphae) that are densely packed but only around 1/200 of a millimetre in diameter. A mass of hyphae is called a mycelium.
In this image, a slice through an aspergilloma has been imaged using a transmission electron microscope.
Copyright:
With kind permission from Dr Anne Beauvais, Unite des Aspergillus, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris
Notes: n/a
Images library
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Pigmentation of Aspergillus versicolor colonies ranged from pale green to greenish-beige, pink-green, dark green and brown. Reverse is usually reddish. The growth rate is usually slow. Cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar with chloramphenicol.
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A Colonies on MEA after one week; B, C conidial heads with tip of conidiophire, x920; D conidial head, x 2330; E conidial heads x920
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A Colonies on MEA + 20% sucrose after one week; B detail of colony showing columnar conidial heads x 44 ; C conidial heads x 920; D conidia x2330
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Cultures are grown on malt extract agar for 5-7 days at 30°C.
Light microscopy-1000x stained with lacto-phenol and cotton blue.
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A Colonies on MEA +20% sucrose after one week; B ascomata x 40; C conidiophores x 920; D ascospores x2330; E ascoma x 230; F portion of ascoma with asci and ascospores, x 920.
