Cytopathologic Approach to the Diagnosis of Non-Endemic Mycoses

Learning Objectives:

• Perform a stepwise cytologic evaluation of mycotic infections by distinguishing hyphal versus yeast forms, describing the inflammatory pattern, and characterizing hyphal dimension, contours, septations, branching, pigmentation, and staining properties.
• Identify the key cytomorphologic features that differentiate hyalohyphomycosis, phaeohyphomycosis, oomycosis, and zygomycosis.
• Use cytopathologic findings or a descriptive report to replace non-endemic mycoses into clinical categories that facilitate decision making.