Fungus
Trichosporon species
Arthroconidia-forming yeast; white piedra
trik-oh-SPOR-on
High-yield clue
Arthroconidia-forming yeast causing soft hair-shaft nodules (white piedra), plus a false-positive cryptococcal antigen in disseminated disease, is the core study clue.
Overview
Yeast-like fungi (notably Trichosporon asahii) that form true hyphae and arthroconidia; they cause superficial white piedra of hair and disseminated trichosporonosis in neutropenic hosts. Classic arthroconidia-forming yeast teaching organism.
Classification
- Yeast-like fungus
- Basidiomycota
- Produces true hyphae, pseudohyphae, and arthroconidia
- Blastoconidia present
- Environmental and skin-associated
Lab & identification clues
- Hyaline arthroconidia (segmenting hyphae) microscopy vocabulary
- Soft light nodules on hair shafts in white piedra
- Cross-reacts with cryptococcal antigen test vocabulary
- Growth as urease-positive yeast in coursework
Associations
- White piedra of scalp, beard, or body hair vocabulary
- Disseminated trichosporonosis in neutropenic/hematologic patients
- Bloodstream and catheter-related infection vocabulary
- Summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis association
Commonly confused with
- Cryptococcus (shared antigen cross-reaction)
- Geotrichum (arthroconidia-forming look-alike)
Your notes
Original student-study summary. Sources checked: OpenStax Microbiology 2e, NCBI Bookshelf Medical Microbiology, and CDC topic pages where applicable; reviewed 2026-06. Educational only; no diagnosis, treatment, dosing, or specimen-handling guidance.