Diagnostic techniques
In accordance with progression in mycological diagnostic approaches, today there are two diagnostic categories including traditional and advanced molecular diagnostic tools available. Accuracy, availability, rapidity, sensitivity, specificity and cost effectiveness are important items for diagnostic procedures. Nevertheless, routine traditional diagnostic tools are not able to warrant adequate sensitivity and specificity (62).
Traditional diagnostic techniques
Traditional mycological diagnostics involve specimen direct microscopy, Wood’s lamp test, fungal culture medium, and biopsy. (2, 5, 63, 64).
Specimen direct microscopy
Direct microscopic observation of fungi in clinical samples is obviously a cheap and short-time diagnostic method. Clinical specimen must be prepared by scalpel, moving to a clean glass slide with a drop of 10%-20% KOH. Mild heat may help to increase the lytic activity of KOH on fungal α-(1,3) and α-(1,4) cross linkages in cell wall glucan polymers to have a clear and transparent vision of dermatophyte fungal elements including filamentous, septate, and branched hyphae with or without conidia among the specimen (1-3, 8, 9, 17, 65).
Providing suitable samples is an important part of direct microscopy. Accuracy in isolation of scale from peripheral border of suspected lesion, obtaining infected hair shafts or hair follicles, scraping from infected nails are the primary procedures for preparing valuable samples to have a successful observation to confirm the presence or absence of dermatophyte fungi. According to previous studies, sensitivity and the specificity of direct KOH microscopy are ~65% and >45% (1, 2, 8, 17, 66, 67).
Wood’s lamp test
Wood’s lamp tool is a limited diagnostic...
... middle of paper ...
...are not available or may be expensive. Thus, direct KOH microscopy is an acceptable diagnostic method yet. Simultaneous application of direct microscopy and culture are used as a best choice in some countries worldwide.
We purpose that, the use of direct microscopy, culture medium and molecular diagnostics simultaneously is the best choice until now. In addition, by detection of fungal elements via direct microscopy and molecular diagnostic approaches, pharmacotherapy must be started and the respond of culture medium is a confirmation test for an accurate diagnosis.
Although different types of antifungal drugs are available today; we believe that topical pharmacotherapy is the first choice. Negative respond to topical treatment, may be a good evidence for administering systematic antifungal drugs.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interests.
Streak plate technique was used to isolate pure culture for each bacteria (2). The Gram stain was used to determine Gram reaction and morphology of each bacteria (2) Selective and differential media such as, salt agar, MacConkey agar and blood agar were used for bacterial identification (2). Gelatin deeps were inoculated to detect production of gelatinase (2). Starch Agar plate were inoculated to detect amylase (2). Ocular reticle used to determine bacteria size (2). Motility deeps were inoculated to detect motility on bacteria (2). Thioglycollate broth used to determine oxygen requirements (2). Carbohydrate fermentation
Arch Dermatol. 2007;143(1):124–125. Puchenkova, S. G. (1996). "
For medical care, no treatment is needed for those who are asymptomatic, just monitoring for mild symptoms (2). For those who cannot fight the disease as easily as the majority, there are an array of treatments available. To start, blood cultures should be performed in all patients, and sputum cultures should be taken for those with chronic histoplasmosis (2). Chest radiology would be preferred for individuals with acute pulmonary histoplasmosis, steroids and possible laser treatment for ocular histoplasmosis, and CT scans for those with cerebral histoplasmosis (2). With prolonged symptoms of more than 4 weeks, medical therapy via itraconazole is recommended for 6-12 weeks, followed by chest imaging (2). Bronchiectasis caused by the microbe is treated with either a bronchoscopy or surgical removal (3). Phrenological treatments to histoplasmosis include amphorcetericin B, ketoconazole, itraconazole, and fluconazole (3). Currently, antifungal agents are being developed to offer alternative treatment (3). To successfully survive as a pathogen, the virus must change itself on a micro level to survive changing conditions, macrophages, and other threats to the fungi’s reproduction (4). Being able to go from an environmental mold to an intercellular yeast is extremely useful for a microbe in an ecosystem that fights for control of those it infects (4). These advantages present within histoplasmosis are what keeps it as a cause of respiratory and systemic disease in mammals (4). There are plenty of treatments available to accommodate all forms of histoplasmosis, making it a microbe that is very simple to cure, despite how hard it tries to
If you have toenail fungus and have tried topical or home remedies that haven’t worked, you don’t need to worry any longer. Today, laser technology LightPod Forte is used to treat toenail fungus very effectively. The unique high-power output is fast and efficient laser energy that heats the fungus without burning the surrounding skin. This kills the fungus in and under the nail. There are no drugs used or any side effects.
Trichoscopy may also help in differential diagnosis of the disease. It shows regularly distributed "yellow dots" (hyperkeratotic plugs), small exclamation-mark hairs, and "black dots" (destroyed hairs in the hair follicle opening).
Antiviral creams: Prescription antiviral creams, such as imiquimod (Aldara, Zyclara), are often effective in removing Molluscum Contagiosum lesions over time.
Hochadel, M. (2014). Mosby's Drug Reference for Health Care Professionals (fourth edition ed.). : Elsevier.
A separate, but related problem is in the accuracy of the diagnosis in identifying a discrete pattern of pathology. I...
Upon receiving the unknown Microorganism (M.O.) #16, I prepared a slide by cleaning and drying it. Then, using a bottle of water I placed sterile drop of water on the slide and used an inoculating loop, flame sterilized, I took a small sample of the unknown growth in my agar slant and smeared it onto the slide in a dime sized circle and then heat fixed it for ten minutes. After ten minutes had passed, I collected the ingredients needed to perform a gram stain. I got the primary stain, crystal violet, and flooded my smear for sixty seconds, and then rinsed the color off with water until the water ran clear. I then flooded the smear with the mordant, grams iodine, and let that sit on the slide for sixty seconds as well. I then rinsed the grams iodine off with water and applied alcohol to the smear to decolorize the cells; however I made sure not to over decolorize and only put enough drops on the smear till the purple ran clear. I then rinsed the slide with water and flooded the smear with safranin the counter stain and let it sit for sixty seconds and then rinsed the color off with water. I blo...
Sordaria fimicola belongs to the kingdom of fungi and is part of the phylum Ascosmycota. This fungus habitat is in the feces of herbivores. As many fungi Sordaria have one life cycles which is haploid/ diploid. It is commonly exits as a haploid organism, but when the mycelium from two individuals meets, the result is a diploid zygote. This diploid zygote which undergoes meiosis forms eight haploid ascospores . The ability of Sordaria to make 8 haploid ascospores is what makes it unique and important for the laboratory exercise done in lab.
Annette could not take that as a final answer and told her that she would not just leave it and should get a second opinion and have another test run. The patient went back and requested a more thorough test be completed, she got the results back and everything was clear and her primary care physician assured her she was fine. Initially she would perform the exams as learned in school, but now after finding something abnormal, she now does a more thorough check, especially on patients with a previous history of cancer. This incident solidified her belief in early detection and proper documentation.
C. immitis is non-fastidious growing on a variety of culture media including brain-heart infusion agar, potato-dextrose agar, Sabourand-dextrose agar and blood agar. (3) Culture to induce mycelial growth is best at 28-30oC typically taking 2-3 weeks with growth detectable within 5 days. (3, 6, 7) The colony is initially white and glabrous, quickly becoming floccose resembling angel hair (see picture 1) and turning brown as it ages. (3, 6) Microscopically the culture shows single celled barrel-shaped alternate arthroconidia (see picture 2) separated from each other by a disjunctor cell.(6, 8) Conversion to the yeast / spherule form re...
Cystoscopy. Use to remove a small sample of tissue (biopsy) for analysis in the lab. This test most likely won’t be needed if this is the first time patient had signs or symptoms of cystitis.
Today, there are more advanced lab tests to help doctors classify ALL so they no longer have to rely on just the cell’s characteristics. These new lab tests aid in the grouping of ALL based on the type of lymphocyte the leukemia stems from (B cell or T cell) and how mature the cancer cells are (American Cancer Society, 2013)54.... ... middle of paper ... ... Diseases & Conditions - Medscape Reference.
Culture plates of yeasts strains: S41, a pet 1 and M240, conical flasks containing Yeast Extract Potassium Acetate (YEPA), Yeast Extract Peptone Dextrose (YEPD) and Yeast Extract Palm Olein (YEPPO) media, pH indicator, inoculation loop, microscope, methylene blue, Bunsen burner and incubator.