Medical significance of the so-called black yeasts.

Infections caused by the black yeasts (leveduras pretas) are reviewed with respect to their clinical manifestations, classification under the umbrella term, phaeohyphomycosis, and differentiation from chromoblastomycosis. Data on the prevalence of black yeasts submitted to a national reference diagnostic center are provided. Cases of phaeohyphomycosis caused by Aureobasidium pullulans, Exophiala jeanselmei, E. moniliae, E. spinifera, Phaeoannelomyces werneckii, Phaeosclera dematioides, Sarcinomyces phaeomuriformis, and Wangiella dermatitidis are described.