Persistent viability of the Medlar body

Abstract

Background: The Medlar body represents an adaptive tissue form of the fungi known to cause cutaneous chromomycosis. This study was designed to determine the in vitro viability of Medlar bodies that are found in profusion within lesional epidermis.

Methods: Epidermal scrapings of three indigenous cases from Texas of chromomycosis due to Fonsecaea pedrosoi were collected and periodically cultured to determine the duration of fungal viability.

Results: The causative organism could be recovered 11, 15, and 18 months, respectively, after epidermal scrapings were obtained from the three patients.

Conclusions: This simple but important experiment indicates that Medlar bodies are quite hardy. Thus, clinical lesions may appear after long incubation periods subsequent to traumatic implantation of etiologic fungi. The robust adaptability of the tissue form may also account for the difficulty in achieving a "cure" in cases of chromomycosis.