Paper II
2018 July (Supplementary) (2010 Scheme) · 40 marks · 120 min

Question

Laboratory diagnosis of candidiasis

Q52 marksShort Notes

Answer

Laboratory diagnosis of candidiasis (Candida species):

  • Direct microscopy — KOH mount/Gram stain showing budding yeast cells, with/without pseudohyphae.
  • Culture — on Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA); blood culture for suspected candidaemia.
  • Germ tube test — rapid identification of C. albicans (germ tube formation in serum at 37°C).
  • Chlamydospore formation — on cornmeal-Tween 80 agar, confirmatory for C. albicans.
  • CHROMagar Candida — chromogenic differential medium for rapid presumptive speciation.
  • Biochemical/sugar assimilation tests and automated systems for definitive species-level identification, particularly important for non-albicans species.
  • Antifungal susceptibility testing — important for invasive disease given variable resistance patterns.
  • Histopathology (PAS/GMS stain) — for confirming tissue invasion.

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