Where and what tests should be taken to identify nail fungus?

When the first signs of fungal nail infection appear, each person should undergo appropriate tests to identify this disease.

And the sooner this happens, the more effective the treatment will be in the future. Before the doctor prescribes the necessary treatment, the patient will be referred for appropriate laboratory tests, which include a complete blood count, microscopic examination and culture. Nail fungus is a dangerous disease and requires qualified treatment.

Based on the test results, it is possible to determine the degree of development of the pathological process and choose the most appropriate course of therapy.

The need to undergo research

A symptom such as a change in the shape or color of the nail plate is evidence of a fungal infection . However, in some cases, such changes may indicate other pathological processes.

To be able to determine the exact cause, the patient must take a blood test to detect nail fungus. At the same time, the doctor may prescribe an immune status test.

If there is a suspicion of an infectious lesion, laboratory tests are mandatory. If the results confirm the diagnosis, the attending physician will select an individual therapeutic course.

Important!

Self-medication in this situation is absolutely excluded. What you can do yourself is to prevent the disease.

Prevention

Treatment of fungal infections is a long and expensive process. If you follow certain rules of prevention, all this can be easily prevented:

• Use only your own personal hygiene products, clothes, towels, shoes, and bed linen.
• Always wash your hands after visiting public places.
• For irregular sexual intercourse, always use a condom.
• Try to eat healthy. Eat foods with plenty of vitamins and minerals, especially in the fall and winter.
• Prevent the development of infectious diseases; during exacerbations, try not to visit crowded places.
• Carefully monitor your health and consult a doctor in a timely manner.

How is the scraping taken?

To begin with, the patient will be prescribed a general and biochemical blood test. In addition, the doctor will take a scraping to determine the causative agent of the nail disease. In some cases, a culture of the nail plate affected by the fungus is done.

Along with these tests, the patient is prescribed PCR, a test that will make it possible to identify the pathogen by its DNA.

It has become an established opinion among people that curing fungus is quite difficult. And to alleviate the condition, expensive pharmaceuticals are required. However, in reality this is not always true.

Preparation for scraping

If we talk about preparing for scraping the skin, as well as nails, then before taking it, experts recommend :

1. 3 days before the analysis, do not perform hygienic manipulations using soap and other aggressive cosmetics.
2. Do not treat areas where the physician intends to take material for analysis. However, it is better not to apply care products, including cream or lotion, to these areas.
3. Before collecting the material, you must remove the manicure.
4. Experts also advise refraining from taking pharmaceuticals that can distort test results.

It should be noted that the procedure itself will not cause pain to the patient.

Using sterile instruments, the attending physician will carefully collect flakes of skin or nails from the area that is most intensely infected with the fungus. The collected biological material is placed in a cylindrical container and sent to a laboratory for research, where the scales are placed in an alkaline environment for microscopic examination.

In what cases is examination necessary?

Hair loss may be a symptom of fungal pathogens

The fungus causes inflammation of the skin, nails, and can also affect the scalp. The main sign that indicates that it is necessary to visit a dermatologist is focal inflammation of the skin or the growth and separation of nail tissue with the formation of scales, itching and keratinization of the skin in the area affected by the fungus.

The scales actively peel off and contain a large number of pathogens of a certain type of mycosis, therefore they are a source of infection for healthy people. The fungus feels most comfortable in a humid environment, so most often infection occurs in a sauna, gym or swimming pool.

It is necessary to be tested for the presence of fungal pathogens if:

• increased peeling of the skin;
• characteristic rashes on the skin or mucous membranes;
• increased oiliness of the face and the appearance of lumpy skin;
• increased hair loss;
• the presence of dandruff and severe itching of the scalp.

It is worth noting that some skin diseases have similar symptoms to mycosis, therefore, in order to find the cause of the problem, you should take tests for the fungus and seek their interpretation and consultation with a dermatologist.

Preparation for the study and blood sampling

As noted above, in order to identify the fungus, the patient also donates blood for laboratory tests. There are the following rules that should be followed when donating blood :

• It is recommended to go to the laboratory to donate blood at the beginning of the day. At the same time, it is better to come to the procedure with an empty stomach;
• 2 days before donating blood, it is better to stop drinking alcohol and heavy physical activity;
• unless absolutely necessary, it is better not to take any medications;
• 12 hours before blood sampling, you should refrain from smoking, as well as coffee and tea;
• It is necessary to donate blood before medical procedures.

When donating blood, laboratory specialists conduct an enzyme immunoassay and PCR diagnostics. The first is used to detect deep mycoses when it is not possible to obtain biological material for culture.

In this study, antibody titers to a specific fungus are determined. As a rule, antibodies to candidiasis and aspergillosis are detected. For this study, blood is drawn from a vein.

As for PCR diagnostics, it makes it possible to identify a specific type of fungus. The advantages of this method include such features as its speed and reliability. However, to conduct research, a specialist must know what exactly to look for. Based on the results of PCR analysis alone, the patient cannot be diagnosed.

Special training

There are simple recommendations that must be followed in order to correctly submit biological material for laboratory testing. Let's list them:

• During the 72 hours before the test, it is important that water and other liquids do not come into contact with fungal-infected areas of the body.
• For 3 days you cannot use antimycotics, both externally and internally.
• It is not recommended to trim the edges of your nails with scissors for 10 days.
• During treatment, you should completely stop using decorative cosmetics - varnishes, creams, etc.

If you violate any of the above rules, the test results may be distorted and will not correspond to the actual picture of the disease. This fact will negatively affect not only the diagnosis of the patient, but also his subsequent treatment.

Additionally, there is a whole list of requirements listed below:

• A nail fungus test must be taken strictly before 12 noon on an empty stomach;
• during the day before the examination, it is important to avoid drinking alcoholic beverages and refrain from serious physical activity;
• it is necessary to limit the intake of medications to a minimum; if the patient is taking vital medications, he must inform the doctor about this;
• 3 hours before the blood test, smoking, drinking tea and coffee are prohibited;
• During the study, a person must remain in a balanced state - stress can negatively affect its outcome.

The doctor will inform the patient in more detail about the intricacies of laboratory tests. In addition, modern clinics, for example, Hemotest or Invitro, usually have their own websites, where they have all the necessary preliminary requirements for diagnostics, which can be read in advance, online.

Bacterial culture

Bacterial culture is one of the most common ways to identify fungus. This method is used when it is necessary to accurately determine the causative agent of the disease .

The collection of material for analysis is carried out as follows:

• if there is a thick stratum corneum or minor cracks on the nail plate, the specialist scrapes off the separated particles;
• for distal onychomycosis, the attending physician takes a scraping for analysis from the transverse groove of the nail bed and cuts off the nail plate on the sides;
• for the proximal type of fungal nail infection, the doctor performs manipulations to completely tear the nail away from the bed;
• in case of inflammation of the periungual fold, scraping of the material is carried out from this area;
• One day before the procedure, you must stop taking local medications.

What is nail fungus?

Fungal infection of the nail plate is called onychomycosis. This is an extremely common disease that is diagnosed in people of any age, including children. The pathological process is caused by the active proliferation of infections on the feet and hands, which leads to yellowing, delamination, changes in the structure of the nail, as well as damage to the skin tissue around it.

The disease is classified depending on its pronounced manifestations:

• onycholytic – characterized by damage to the nail plate and its rejection from the nail bed;
• hypertrophic, in which the plate loses its glossy shine, turns pale, turns yellow, darkens, and also changes its structure: it thickens, becomes deformed, and collapses at the edges;
• normotrophic, when a seemingly healthy nail plate becomes covered with small spots;
• total, in which the entire nail is affected;
• distal, when the lesion is located only at the edge.

It is very easy to become infected with onychomycosis. Pathogens are transmitted from a sick person, as well as through the things he uses.

Increase the likelihood of infection:

• weak immunity;
• violation of the integrity of the skin and nails;
• vascular diseases;
• wearing low-quality, tight shoes;
• failure to comply with personal hygiene rules;
• severe stress.

If signs of illness occur, you should consult a dermatologist or mycologist. The sooner therapy is carried out, the faster it will be possible to cope with mycosis.

Bacteriological research process

Material for sowing is collected in order to determine the type of fungus that has affected the nail plate.

To conduct the study you need:

• scrape the nail at least once;
• after this, the collected material is inoculated into so-called Petri dishes in an appropriate alkaline environment;
• the material is kept in this environment for 2–3 days, while maintaining the required temperature.

Based on the diagnostic results, the type of fungus and its sensitivity to the therapeutic measures are determined.

Types of tests for fungus in the body, skin and nails

Microscopic analysis is one of the methods for detecting fungal infections

To diagnose mycosis of any kind, it is necessary to take a sample of biomaterial. This could be a piece of the affected nail plate, a scraping from the skin, a hair follicle or other material that needs to be processed in a certain way and the reaction studied. There are several methods for collecting tests, which are most often prescribed by dermatologists to confirm the diagnosis of mycosis. These include:

• Microscopic;
• Cultural;
• Immunoenzyme;
• PCR analysis.

Microscopic method

After processing the taken material, the result is examined under a microscope. The material is collected only with the help of a sterile instrument at the border of the outbreak, since there is the highest concentration of pathogens. This type of fungal examination is called microscopic. The results of the analysis will be known 3-5 days after the start of the study.

Most often, this method assumes a positive or negative result for the presence of fungus. And very rarely does it provide information about its concentration and type of pathogen.

It is considered normal if, as a result of the study, no fungi are found at all. If a low concentration of the mycosis pathogen is detected, this may indicate reduced immunity of the patient, who is an asymptomatic carrier.

Culture method

This analysis for fungus of the skin, nails or scalp provides more accurate data about the pathogen, but obtaining it will require more time. Depending on the type of fungus, you can get results either in a couple of days or in a month.

The collection of material is carried out by a laboratory assistant in the same way as for the microbiological research method. After which the biomaterial is immersed in an environment nutritious for fungi, in which they begin to grow into entire colonies. The resulting result is studied under a microscope to determine the type of fungus and its concentration. The detailed analysis provides information regarding sensitivity to certain medications.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

This type of laboratory test is often used to diagnose deep mycosis, when taking material for analysis is a problem. As a result of ELISA, it is possible to determine the most suitable type of antibodies to the identified fungus. The sensitivity of ELISA is about 80%. In this case, venous blood is taken as the material for research. A blood test for fungus is taken on an empty stomach, and the result takes one to five days to prepare and has three formulations (positive, negative, doubtful).

If necessary, ELISA may include determining the level of immunoglobulins relative to a fungal infection. The results indicate the “norm” limit with which the obtained value is compared.

PCR

PCR is a laboratory diagnostic method aimed at identifying pathogens of infectious diseases

This analysis can determine the presence of a specific type of fungal pathogen in the material. It is distinguished by accuracy and quick results, but at the same time it has a narrow direction. The use of PCR for fungi is justified when re-confirming an already established diagnosis. To carry out the analysis, a scraping of the skin or mucous membrane is done, and sometimes a urine or blood test is taken.

This research method can indicate the absence or presence of the causative agent of mycosis or their quantity in the taken material. The result of the analysis will be known the next day after taking the material or a day later, but the attending physician will never make a diagnosis based on the PCR result alone. This test is prescribed only if specific symptoms are present.

Who should I contact to complete the study?

When the first signs of fungal infection appear, you should contact a specialist as soon as possible so that he can prescribe the necessary treatment. Otherwise, you can start the process, which will require longer treatment.

For your first visit to a medical specialist, it is best to choose a dermatologist . Such specialists work in all medical institutions without exception, where it is possible to enter, including free of charge.

Upon examination, the specified specialist will assess whether there is a possibility of infection with a fungus and refer the patient to a mycologist. It is the mycologist who treats the fungus.

If we talk about a dermatologist, he deals with all possible problems related to the skin, including the inflammatory process, the development of viral and bacterial infections.

The mycologist's area of ​​responsibility is only pathological processes provoked by fungal pathogens.

Risk groups and prevention of fungal infections

Fungal pathogens are found in minimal quantities on the skin of any person. But uncontrolled use of medications, especially hormones and antibiotics, can provoke their active growth and subsequent lesions. It should also be taken into account that deep mycotic infections can enter the body through open wounds. Compliance with sanitary rules for treating any injuries associated with a violation of the skin minimizes the risk of disease with systemic and visceral microfungi.

High humidity and constant above-zero temperatures are an ideal environment for the life and reproduction of microscopic fungi. Accordingly, the risk group a priori includes employees and visitors of swimming pools, fitness clubs, bath complexes, spa salons, as well as workers in laundries and catering establishments.

People with weakened immune systems, a depressed nervous system, a tendency to allergies, critical weight loss and metabolic disorders are also prone to fungal infections. Therefore, the most effective prevention is strengthening the immune system, impeccable adherence to personal hygiene rules and systematic examinations by a therapist and dermatologist.

Where can I get tested?

It should be borne in mind that not every laboratory is ready to offer patients mycological studies .

To conduct such studies, it is necessary to obtain special permission, the availability of appropriate equipment and the qualifications of medical personnel. Therefore, before going to the laboratory, you should ask in advance whether it conducts such tests.

In case of fungal infection of the skin and nails, you should choose a laboratory where biological material is professionally collected, since this is what will largely determine the result of the study.

Sometimes it happens that clinics themselves enter into agreements with laboratories. In this case, the material is collected from the patient in a medical institution, and the study itself is carried out in the laboratory with which the contract was concluded.

In addition, modern technologies make it possible to receive laboratory test results online, when a form with the results is sent to the patient’s email or to his personal account, opened on the website of the medical institution.

Is it possible to identify a fungus using an analysis?

The disease is transmitted through close contact and indirectly, through clothing, shoes, household items, and surfaces. It is difficult to protect yourself from infection when visiting public places. The pathogen is transmitted within the family. For timely detection and elimination of the disease, tests are carried out for fungi of nails, skin, and hair.

During a visual examination, the type of strain cannot be accurately determined by the patient’s appearance, the condition of the nails, hair, and skin. The drugs are active only against certain types of fungi; without an accurate diagnosis, treatment will be ineffective.

To establish the form of the pathogen, microscopy of fragments of the affected biological material is performed and/or blood is examined (according to indications, not always). Samples are taken only by a medical specialist. The dermatologist finds the areas from which it is necessary to collect biomaterial. Only if certain sampling rules are followed will the test results be reliable.

For cultural examination, lesions are identified; it is recommended to examine tissue from the borders of the affected areas, where the highest concentration of the pathogen is recorded.

Painfulness of the procedure

The overwhelming number of people who decide to undergo the study experience some fear of the procedure for collecting biological materials from the skin and nail plates. However, there is absolutely no need to be afraid of such procedures . Such manipulations are absolutely painless and do not cause any discomfort.

Such manipulations mostly resemble the usual cutting of the edges of the nail plates. In addition, a laboratory technician may scrape the area of ​​skin over the infected nail to take a scraping. However, even this impact does not cause pain.

Testing process

Tests for nail fungus are carried out using several methods - scraping, culture and PCR. The collection of biological material is practiced within the walls of the laboratory. There are no specific differences for an adult, an expectant mother and a child when taking it. We invite you to learn more about each of them.

Collection of material. To perform the prescribed microbiological examination, scraping is done from the area of ​​the fingernail or toenail affected by the infection. If symptoms of advanced mycosis are detected, deep inflammation is noted in the area of ​​the bed, the material for analysis is usually taken from under the plate itself with a fragment of unchanged tissue. The zone that borders the healthy areas of the nail is home to the most active pathogens of the disease, which makes it possible to obtain highly accurate research results.

Sometimes the question arises about the need to collect tissue for histological diagnosis. For example, during a purulent process in the area of ​​the nail bed, scrapings are taken from the surface of the plate and exudate from the affected areas.

Conducting microscopy. The material taken from the patient is examined under a microscope. Potassium is added to the resulting samples, which purposefully dissolves keratin fibers. During the examination, the laboratory technician may find spores and filamentous hyphae and pseudohyphae, which indicates the presence of a fungal infection. At the same time, microsporia is able to differentiate dermatomycosis, candidiasis, bacterial pathologies, psoriasis, eczema and lichen planus.

The causative agents of superficial fungal infections are usually present in single quantities in the microflora of the skin and nails, without provoking the development of the disease. That is why the identification of onychomycosis strains does not confirm this diagnosis in all cases. The prospective patient must have clinical manifestations of nail fungus. However, this does not apply to the diagnosis of subungual contents, in which opportunistic microbes should not be present.

Cultural research. Scraping for fungus also examines the type of pathogen of the existing pathological process. For this purpose, culture is carried out on Sabouraud's medium with the addition of antibacterial drugs. Biological material taken from the patient is placed in specific conditions where fungi begin to grow. After the causative agent of onychomycosis is determined, an antimycotic drug to which pathogenic microbes are sensitive is selected.

Thus, with the help of a cultural study, you can find out the type of fungal infection and decide on medications that are effective against it. But this analysis has two disadvantages - firstly, it is carried out for a long time: at least 7-21 days, and, secondly, not in all cases it is possible to find out the correct diagnosis - if there were no active microorganisms on the biological material taken from the patient, grow They will form a colony and you won’t be able to find medicine.

Direct DNA diagnosis of dermatophytosis. The PCR method makes it possible to detect the fungus and find out its genetic affiliation. The sensitivity of this type of research is as accurate as possible, therefore, in laboratory conditions, several causative agents of the pathological process can be detected simultaneously, since we are often talking about a mixed infection. The diagnostic result is usually ready within a day.

The PCR method can show even single fungi, so it is effective if culture does not show colony growth. DNA analysis reveals the infectious process in individuals with chronic and latent forms of onychomycosis. The disadvantage of the PCR method is its price category - diagnostics require appropriate expensive equipment, so the analysis is not carried out free of charge.

Important! The laboratory technician must take a sufficient portion of biological material in order to obtain viable active microorganisms, from which an entire colony can later be grown. If a specialist takes only the tip of the plate, most likely, weakened pathogenic fungi will be found on it; they may die before the study begins.

Research price

The price of such studies will depend on their type, the pricing policy of the laboratory and a number of other additional factors.

It should be remembered that the cost of an analysis performed in a clinic usually exceeds the price set by the laboratory itself.

Sowing biological material will be more expensive than microscopic studies.

Free testing

If you contact a budgetary regional or city medical institution at your place of registration, the patient will be able to undergo tests completely free of charge or for some symbolic cost.

Only in some cases do doctors recommend contacting a private laboratory. This is only due to the fact that it is not possible to conduct such analyzes on the basis of a budget laboratory. Only in this case the cost of such analyzes will be high, which will be justified by high-quality modern equipment that allows more accurate results to be determined.

results

If the test result is positive, this indicates that a laboratory test found fungal spores or mycelium in the provided biomaterial. The scraping result can provide only narrow information about the presence or absence of the pathogen. If the result is positive, then the dermatologist prescribes a wider examination of the sample, taking into account the patient’s symptoms and complaints.

To identify the DNA of a pathogenic organism, the biomaterial is placed in a special nutrient medium. As a result of cultural analysis, it is possible to more accurately determine the type of fungus and confirm the assumption with PCR results. In order to confirm the diagnosis, the doctor can confirm the result with multiple tests, which are carried out after a certain period of time. Depending on the analysis, the research result can be obtained within 2-3 days after collecting the biological material.

Determining infection at home

Many people are interested in the question of whether testing for fungus at home is possible. This method actually exists, and to conduct such a home study, potassium permanganate and warm water.

To test for fungus at home you must:

• dilute a little potassium permanganate in water so that it acquires a pink tint;
• then immerse your feet or hands, presumably infected with the fungus, in water for a few minutes;
• then remove the limbs from the water and wipe dry;
• Now you need to evaluate the color of the nail plate. If it has acquired a brown or yellow tint, then there is no fungus. If the color has not changed, then we are talking about infection with a fungus. If the home test result is positive, you should consult a doctor and undergo appropriate laboratory tests.

Thus, nail fungus can become a real problem, which will require a lot of time and effort to eliminate. It is important not to ignore the problem and contact the appropriate specialist as soon as possible.

Why do analysis?

Treatment of fungal and bacterial diseases differs radically. It is important to establish the cause of skin problems in order to prescribe adequate therapy.

Fungi are one of the most resistant and contagious microorganisms. Mycoses occupy first place among all infectious skin diseases. Fungi do not threaten the patient’s life, but significantly reduce its quality. The situation is complicated by the fact that mycoses are very resistant to treatment. The earlier the disease is detected and the smaller the area it affects, the faster the recovery will occur.