Mycoses are infections caused by fungi.
These infections can affect various parts of the body and range from superficial, affecting the skin, hair, and nails, to systemic, affecting internal organs and tissues.
Mycoses are classified based on the site of infection and the type of fungi involved:
1. **Superficial Mycoses**: These affect the outermost layers of the skin and hair. Examples include:
- **Tinea versicolor**: Caused by the fungus *Malassezia*.
- **Tinea nigra**: Caused by *Hortaea werneckii*.
2. **Cutaneous Mycoses**: These affect the skin, hair, and nails. Examples include:
- **Dermatophytosis (ringworm)**: Caused by dermatophytes such as *Trichophyton*, *Microsporum*, and *Epidermophyton*.
3. **Subcutaneous Mycoses**: These infections penetrate the skin and affect the underlying tissues. Examples include:
- **Sporotrichosis**: Caused by *Sporothrix schenckii*.
- **Chromoblastomycosis**: Caused by several different fungi, including *Fonsecaea* and *Cladophialophora*.
4. **Systemic Mycoses**: These affect internal organs and systems and can be life-threatening, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Examples include:
- **Histoplasmosis**: Caused by *Histoplasma capsulatum*.
- **Blastomycosis**: Caused by *Blastomyces dermatitidis*.
- **Coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever)**: Caused by *Coccidioides* species.
- **Cryptococcosis**: Caused by *Cryptococcus neoformans*.
5. **Opportunistic Mycoses**: These infections occur primarily in individuals with weakened immune systems. Examples include:
- **Candidiasis**: Caused by *Candida* species, commonly *Candida albicans*.
- **Aspergillosis**: Caused by *Aspergillus* species.
- **Mucormycosis**: Caused by fungi in the order Mucorales, such as *Rhizopus* and *Mucor* species.