Onychomycosis: Clinical findings, etiological agents and evaluation of laboratory methods

• Main Authors: Dubljanin Eleonora, Džamić A.M., Mitrović Sanja, Arsić-Arsenijević Valentina, Čolović-Čalovski Ivana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Belgrade, University of Novi Sad 2014-01-01
• Series: Archives of Biological Sciences
• Subjects: Onychomycosis; Blankophor; fungal culture; dermatophytes; nondermatophyte molds; Serbia
• Online Access: http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0354-4664/2014/0354-46641402587D.pdf
• ISSN: 0354-4664; 1821-4339

The aim of this study was to identify the etiological agents in patients with suspected onychomycosis, and to carry out comparative testing of individual or combinations of tests: direct microscopy with KOH and Blankophor (BP), culturing on Sabouraud’s dextrose agar (SDA), diluted Sabouraud’s dextrose agar (D-SDA) and dermatophyte test medium (DTM). From 70 nail samples (65 toenails, 5 fingernails), 46 (60.5%) had at least one of five positive tests. Isolation was possible in 41, while in 5 samples the presence of fungi was observed by KOH and/or BP. Dermatophytes were most frequently isolated (80.5%) where Trichophyton rubrum was predominant. Candida spp. was isolated in 9.8%, Aspergillus spp. 4.9%, Alternaria spp. 2.4% and Fusarium spp. 2.4%. Application of BP as an individual test was the most sensitive method. The combination of BP with DTM or D-SDA provides the best sensitivity and allows the identification of fungi to the species/genus level.