Scedosporium / Lomentospora: Flask Cells and Annelloconidia
Original bench-card visual for recognizing Scedosporium and Lomentospora: flask-shaped conidiogenous cells producing single annelloconidia at the tip on hyaline septate hyphae.
Scedosporium / Lomentospora: flask cells with single annelloconidia
Scedosporium and Lomentospora are opportunistic hyaline molds. The anchor is a flask-shaped conidiogenous cell bearing single oval annelloconidia at the tip, set on septate hyphae.
Flask-shaped or annellidic cells produce a single oval conidium at the tip. Conidia often gather as small clusters at the apex.
Septate hyphae place this in the hyaline mold group. Conidiogenous cell shape, not hyphae alone, points toward Scedosporium or Lomentospora.
Flask-shaped or annellidic cells produce a single oval conidium at the tip. Conidia often gather as small clusters at the apex.
Septate hyphae place this in the hyaline mold group. Conidiogenous cell shape, not hyphae alone, points toward Scedosporium or Lomentospora.
Scedosporium / Lomentospora anchors
| Visual clue | Meaning | Student shorthand |
|---|---|---|
| Flask-shaped conidiogenous cell | Scedosporium pattern | Swollen base tapering to a neck is the main clue |
| Single oval conidium at the tip | Annelloconidium clue | Conidia form one at a time, often clustering at the apex |
| Hyaline septate hyphae | Opportunistic mold context | Overlaps with Aspergillus and Fusarium on hyphae alone |
| Sterile site or near-drowning history | Clinical context | Significance depends on source and host; interpret per SOP |
Scedosporium / Lomentospora interpretation guide
| Pattern | What to call it | How to think about it |
|---|---|---|
| Flask cells with single tip conidia | Scedosporium-compatible morphology | Confirm by validated mold ID workflow |
| Compact conidial head on a vesicle | Aspergillus pattern | Different reproductive structure |
| Curved multicelled macroconidia | Fusarium pattern | Different conidial shape |
- Scedosporium and Lomentospora are conidiogenous-cell-shape cards.
- Flask cells with single tip conidia separate them from other hyaline molds.
- Lomentospora resistance makes correct identification and SOP escalation important.
Scedosporium / Lomentospora = flask cells with single oval conidia on septate hyphae.