Which of the following laboratory tests detects a component of the cell wall of many fungi, excluding Mucorales and Cryptococcus?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: 1,3-beta-D-glucan test
The (1,3)-beta-D-glucan assay is a serum marker for invasive fungal infections. It is found in the cell walls of Candida, Aspergillus, and Pneumocystis, but notably absent in Mucorales and Cryptococcus.
Keep practicing
More Fungal Infections questions
- Which of the following stains is considered the 'gold standard' for visualizing the morphology of fungal elements in tissue sections?
- A patient with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus presents with a rapidly progressing necrotic lesion of the nasal turbinates. Histology shows…
- Which fungal organism is uniquely identified by a thick polysaccharide capsule that appears as a clear 'halo' on an India Ink preparation?
- A lung biopsy from a patient in the Ohio River Valley shows small, 2–4 micrometer intracellular yeasts within macrophages. This finding is…
- What is the characteristic morphological feature of Aspergillus species in tissue sections?
- The presence of 'spherules' containing numerous endospores in a lung specimen is diagnostic for which infection?