It is well known that many kinds of fungi are worldwide in nature, and with the exception of special kinds of fungi, are commonly found on decaying debris and soil in any places of the world, with which some diseases are caused by the contact. Of these fungal diseases, otomycosis of which the main causatic organism are reported to be some sorts of aspergillus species, comes from the infection of the external auditory canal. While it is probable that recently with the great. rapid increase of deep seated mycosis, the treatment involves many difficult, problems. Antifungal agents being used in the present times are some drugs. including amphotericin B, a kind of polyene antibiotics, and having relatively a very wide strong antifungal activity. But because they include side effects and toxicity, it is often pointed out that it can be also impossible to use them.
The author has studied the causatic agents of otomycosis in Korean adults and. the antifungal effects of 5-fluorocytosine in vitro and its clinical effects; and ultrastructural features of Aspergillus was observed.
1) The isolation of fungi from the base sample in 128 otomycosis patients represents 85. 1 % of 109 cases, and the number of strains are 126 strains of 6 genera.
2) The genera and frequency of occurrence of fungi isolated from 126 strains; are as follwing:
Aspergillus species 95 strains 75.3%
Penicillium species 14 strains 11.1%
Mucor species 3 strains 2.4%
Fusidium species 3 strains 2.4 %
Alternaria species 1 strains 0.8%
Cladosporium species 1 strains 0.8%
Unidentified 9 strains 7.2
3) The result of species identification in Aspergillus speies are as following: Aspergillus fumigatus; 39(41.0%), Aspergillus terreus; 26(27.4"10/), Aspergillusniger; 6(6.3%), Aspergillus flavus; 6(6.3%), Aspergillus versicolor; 5(5.3%), Aspergillus nidulans; 3(3.2%), Aspergillus brevipes; 1(1. 1%), and 9 cases (9.4 % )are unidentified.
4) The growth of the most Aspergillus was inhibited in minimum concentration of 5-fluorocytosine from 0. 1 to 1.5,ug/ml, whereas Aspergillus versicolor xnidulans were inhibited relatively in high concentration.
5) The minimum inhibitory concentration of 5-fluorocytosine against the other species was varying as species difference.
6) The minimum fungicidal concentration of 5-fluorocytosine against Aspergillus :species has been shown much higher value than inhibition.
7) The number and the freqency of negative convert of fungi, after treatment with 10% 5-fluorocytosine for 12 days, was 89.3%. (91 cases), and 11 cases (10.7 /) was no response after treatment in 12 days.
8) The ultrafine structure of fungi appeared normal with the cell wall appearing as a tripple-layered conidial wall, which has been different electrical density, approximately 0. 6 to 0.8,u in thickness. The cytoplasm contains a round nucleus, several mitochondrias, electron transparent area, and numerous granules, and the projections on the outside surface of the cell walls have membranous structure.
The 5-FC treated Aspergillus cell walls have been showed the disarray of the cell wall component, and the projection had obscure outlines. However, the details of the connection between the cell wall surface and each projection are not clear.
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