TABLE 5.
Cytologic features of selected yeast genera
| Criterion | Characteristic for:
|
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candida spp. | Cryptococcus spp. | Blastomyces spp. | Histoplasma spp. | Coccidioides spp. | |
| Size (μm) | 3–4 | 5–15 | 8–20 | 2–5 | 5–100 (mean, 10–40) |
| Shape | Oval | Round-oval, clear capsule | Spherical, double-contoured wall | Oval, endocellular | Spherical, refractile |
| Budding | Broad-based pseudohyphae | Narrow based | Broad based | Single, narrow | Endospores |
| PAP stain | Cyanophilic | Pale, cyanophilic | Blue-green | Dark outline | Orangeophilic |
| DQ stain | Dark blue-purple | Blue-purple | Pale blue | Dark blue | Colorless or light blue |
| Special stain | GMS, PASa | GMS, mucicarmine, alcian blue | GMS, PAS | GMS, PAS | PAS, GMS |
a
PAS, Periodic acid-Schiff.