Branching, septate hyphae-the correct answer is b. this is a case of tinea pedis, or athletes foot, caused by a variety of dermatophyticfungi, which are easily detected on alkali mounts of scraped skin as colorless, branching hyphae withcross-walls.hyphae with rosettes of conidia (choice a) describes the environmental/transmission form for sporothrixschenckii, the agent of rose gardeners disease, which is a subcutaneous mycosis.budding yeasts (choice c) describes the form found in clinical specimens from patients with sporotrichosis.hyphae, arthroconidia, and blastoconidia (choice d) would be found in clinical specimens from patients infectedwith trichosporon beigelii (white piedra), which is a superficial mycosis of the hair of the head.pigmented, septate hyphal fragments (choice e) would be found in cases of phaeohyphomycosis, a diversegroup of cyst-forming subcutaneous, pigmented (dematiaceous) fungi, rare in the u.s.short, curved hyphae and round yeasts (choice f), or the spaghetti and meatball presentation in clinicalspecimens, are characteristic of malassezia furfur, the agent of pityriasis versicolor.
