Diagnosis of dermatophytes: from microscopy to direct PCR

Dermatophyte fungi are a common cause of skin, nail and hair infections globally, ranging from mild to cosmetically disfiguring, or even invasive in rare cases. Specimens requiring fungal microscopy culture for suspected dermatophyte infection make up significant portion the workload diagnostic microbiology laboratories. Whilst still considered gold standard, culture-based method is labour intensive, has poor sensitivity, slow result turnaround time requires expertise identification fungi. Molecular diagnostics, especially real-time PCR, have potential improve reduce requirements decrease times. Despite these advantages, PCR-based approach may present some difficulties disadvantages, most notably its range incompatibility with oral therapy prescribing under Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Here we review current best practices future prospects laboratory diagnosis infections, including role microscopy, direct PCR.