Trichoderma sp.

Colonies are fast growing, at first white and downy, later developing yellowish-green to deep green compact tufts, often only in small areas or in concentric ring-like zones on the agar surface. Conidiophores are repeatedly branched, irregularly verticillate, bearing clusters of divergent, often irregularly bent, flask-shaped phialides. Conidia are mostly green, sometimes hyaline, with smooth or rough walls and are formed in slimy conidial heads (gloiospora) clustered at the tips of the phialides.  RG-1 organism.

Phialides and conidia of Trichoderma harzianum.

MIC data is limited.  Antifungal susceptibility testing of individual strains is recommended.

Clinical significance:

Trichoderma is a very common genus especially in soil and decaying wood. Gliocladium (with strongly convergent phialides) and Verticillium (with straight and moderately divergent phialides) are closely related genera. Trichoderma viride has been reported as a causative agent of pulmonary fungus ball and of CAPD associated peritonitis.

Mycosis: Hyalohyphomycosis

Further reading:

Domsch, K.H., W. Gams, and T.H. Anderson. 1980. Compendium of soil fungi. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK.

Kwon-Chung, K.J. and J.E. Bennett. 1992. Medical Mycology. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia and London.