Evaluation of Dermatophyte Identification Medium for Recovery of Keratinophillic Fungi from Clinical Samples

Dermatophyte test media (DTM) and Sabouraud's dextrose agar (SDA) are well established media for recovery of dermatophytes from clinical samples of dermatophytosis. Skin, hair and nail samples were mycologically examined from 112 patients attending Outpatient Clinic of Dermatology and Veneriology in Mansoura University Hospital in an attempt to compare dermatophyte identification media (DIM) with DTM and SDA for recovery and identification of dermatophytes. One hundred and sixteen fungi were recovered from 112 patients. The most common clinical lesions were onychomycosis 35.7% (40/112) and tinea capitis 17.86% (20/112). The most common recovered keratinophilic fungi were T. mentagrophytes (31/116), followed by T. rubrum (15/116). On comparing DIM with SDA and DTM sensitivity was 95.74% and 94.74% respectively while specificity of DIM with DTM was 86.67%.So DIM culture is an inexpensive, rapid, specific, and accurate method for the presumptive recovery of dermatophytes from clinical samples.