Fungus Stain * (Not available at PSC)

***For Licensed practitioners that collect in office Only***

Use: Determine the presence or absence of fungal forms in clinical specimens submitted for direct microscopic exam

Additional Information: KOH/calcofluor: Microscopic examination of nails does not have the sensitivity of culture. KOH alone can be difficult to read and time-consuming. KOH plus the whitener calcofluor increases the sensitivity of the smear. The KOH/calcofluor requires a fluorescence microscope for reading but is superior to KOH alone and replaces the PAS stain for detection capabilities. Positive smears using KOH/calcofluor can be expected in about 60% of positive cultures. If the smear is positive then the likelihood that the culture will grow a dermatophyte is greater than if the smear is negative. See table for retrospective recovery data.