Cladosporium trichodes was widely believed to be a different species until 1995 when de Hoog et al. showed it to be conspecific with C. bantiana based on phylogenetic analysis.

[5] The normal morphology consists of dark coloured largely unbranched, wavy chains of conidia, individually 5–10 μm in length.

[5][6] In culture, the colony is black with a velvety texture or dark grey in colour, depending on the type of agar medium it is grown on.

[11] It is hypothesized that predilection of this species for the central nervous system is due to the presence of melanin, which may be able to cross the blood–brain barrier.

[3] It has also been suggested that the presence of introns in the 18S rDNA subunit of Cladophialophora may be related to the preference of C. bantiana for the CNS, however more research is required to determine the mechanism of this.

It most often manifests as brain abscesses in immunocompetent people, however meningitis and myelitis were observed in a limited number of cases.

[11] Since infection is very rare, there is no standard therapy for treatment of C. bantiana phaeohyphomycosis, however combination of amphotericin B, flucytosine, and itraconazole has been associated with improved outcomes.

[10] It has also been suggested to occupations with high exposure to dust and dirt such as farming and gardening are associated with higher risk of infection.