Ascotricha chartarum infections in Kuwait. First isolation of Ascotricha chartarum from bronchoalveolar lavage of two patients with respiratory infections in Kuwait

We describe the isolation and characterization of Ascotricha chartarum from broncho-alveolar lavage samples of two patients who had underlying pulmonary infection/condition of unknown etiology. The identity of the isolates was established by typical phenotypic characteristics and by sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and D1/D2 domains of rDNA and β-tubulin gene fragment. The report highlights that A. chartarum could be a new respiratory pathogen even though its etiological role in the disease process could not be established unequivocally as tissue biopsies were not available for culture and/or histopathological examination. Molecular methods are needed for accurate identification of A. chartarum due to its phenotypic similarities with Chaetomium spp. and other Chaetomium-like fungi.