CONTRIBUTION TO THE RAPID DIAGNOSIS OF YEAST FORMING FUNGI OF CLINICAL AND HOSPITAL INTEREST

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 75  (9) , 384-386
Abstract
Because the chlamydospore formation test for the identification of Candida albicans is frequently used in most clinical mycology laboratories, a comparative study of the different methods employed for the test was carried out. A total of 108 strains of yeast forming organisms belonging to C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. stellatoidea, C. pseudotropicalis, C. parakrusei, C. guilliermondii, Cryptococcus neoformans, C. laurentii, C. albidus, Geotrichum candidum, Torulopsis Torulopsis glabrata, Rhodotorula rubra, Trichosporum cutaneum and Saccharomyces carlsbergensis was used. The following culture media were compared: corn meal agar, rice agar, chlamydospore agar, PCB, and the recently described TOC medium (Tween 80, oxgall and caffeic acid). Chlamydospore formation was positive, respectively, in 54.2, 66.6, 71.4, 82.8 and 91.4% and pseudomycelia formation, in 85.7, 80, 71.4, 94.2 and 91.4%. Only C. neoformans produced in the TOC medium a characteristic coffee brown pigmentation which distinguished it from the other fungi. The results demonstrate the usefulness of the TOC medium in comparison with other culture media for the chlamydospore formation test for the diagnosis of C. albicans and for the diagnosis of C. neoformans because of the characteristic pigmentation it produces.

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