Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is endemic to Latin America and has Captain's wheel morphology. Which organism is this?

• A. Histoplasma capsulatum
• B. Paracoccidioides brasiliensis
• C. Coccidioides immitis
• D. Blastomyces dermatitidis

Answer: (B)

Captain's wheel morphology, where a yeast cell produces multiple buds around a central cell giving a wheel-like appearance, is a classic feature of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. This organism is endemic to Latin America and causes paracoccidioidomycosis, so the combination of geography and this distinctive budding pattern points to it.

Other fungi have different tissue forms: Histoplasma capsulatum shows small yeast cells that often reside inside macrophages; Coccidioides immitis forms large spherules filled with endospores; Blastomyces dermatitidis displays broad-based budding yeast. Their distinctive morphologies do not match the captain’s wheel appearance, reinforcing why Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the correct identification.