Chromomycosis In Amphibians   Brent R. Whitaker   National Aquarium in Baltimore, Pier 3/501 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD     Chromomycosis, or chromoblastomycosis, in amphibians is a systemic or integumentary infection caused by ubiquitous pigmented fungi normally found in soil, wood, and decayed vegetation. It is one of the most common and often lethal fungal diseases affecting amphibians.  Infections originate in skin wounds or the intestinal tract. Pigmented fungi have also been observed in crickets used as food for captive amphibians, although a direct correlation with disease has not been shown. Clinical signs in affected animals are often non-specific and typically include anorexia, weight loss, ulcerative or granulomatous skin lesions, and distended coelom. A diagnosis is easily made by finding brown or black hyphae, sclerotic bodies or chlamydospores in granulomata, which are often disseminated throughout the animal. Special stains, such as periodic acid shift (PAS), can be used to detect the presence of these fungi in biopsies, impression smears or histological specimens, but this is rarely needed as the pigmented fungi are readily detected in unstained tissues.  To date, treatment of chromomycosis in amphibians has not been successful. However, the use of antifungal agents such as itraconazole, which is effective against many fungi including dermatophytes and yeast, should be investigated.