Test Overview
Culture
Establish the presence of dermatophytes.
No fungi isolated
* Reference ranges may change over time. Please refer to the original patient report when evaluating results.
A single negative specimen does not rule out fungal infections. Decreased recovery of filamentous fungi possible from specimens received on swabs.
Test Details
Preliminary results on all cultures are reported in 18-48 hours. Negative cultures will be reported after 2 weeks.
- Culture, Dermatophyte
- Culture, Skin, Fungus
- Dermatophyte Screen
- Dermatophyte, Fungus Culture
- Fungus Culture, Dermatophyte
- Fungus Culture, Hair
- Fungus Culture, Nail
- Fungus Culture, Skin
- Hair, Fungus Culture
- Nail, Fungus Culture
- Nails, Fungus Culture
Specimen Requirements
HAIR: Using sterile forceps, pluck fluorescent hairs or non-fluorescent hairs which are broken off and appear diseased with sterile forceps. If diseased hair stubs are not apparent, scrape the edges of the scalp lesion with a sterile scalpel. SKIN: Cleanse skin lesions with 70% alcohol to reduce bacterial and saprophytic fungi. Scrape from the outer edges of skin lesions. NAILS: Scrape out the friable material beneath the edge of the nails, or scrape or clip off portions of abnormal appearing nails. Place specimen in a sterile container, tube or envelope; do not add saline or any other fluid to the container. Alternatively, plant tissue scrapings, hair, or nail pieces on mycosel agar slant. Store and transport specimen at room temperature; do not refrigerate or incubate. Indicate specimen source, collection date/time, current antibiotic or antifungal therapy, and clinical diagnosis. If an unacceptable specimen is received, the client will be notified and another specimen will be requested before disposal of the original specimen.
Additional Information
If specimen is adequate, KOH preparation will be performed at an additional charge. If culture is positive, organism will be identified at an additional charge. By ordering this test the clinician acknowledges that additional reflex testing will be performed and billed at a separate additional charge if indicated.