BACKGROUND: It has been reported that KONCPA(KOH+Nail clipping+PAS reaction) test might be a useful complementary method with a high positive rate and an exellent view for making the diagnosis of onychomycosis. OBJECTIVE: KONCPA test, Onyehomycosis This study was aimed to know whether KONCPA test would increase the diagnostic sensitivity of onychomycosis, and agree with the findings of fungus culture and whether KONCPA finding would be of help in diagnosing the causative fungi even in case that KOH smear and fungus culture fail to identify the causative fungi. METHODS: Using 95 onychomycotic nail samples obtained from 87 patients, the KONCPA findings were compared with those of KOH smear and fungus culture. RESULTS: The results were as follows ; 1. The positive rates for dtecting the causative fungi from KOH srnear, fungus culture and KONCPA test were 779%, 45.3% and 95.8% respectively. The time required for KONCPA test, showing the highest positive rate, was only about 2 to 3 hours. 2. The fungus culture identified the causative fungi from 43 samples, of which dermatophytes were found in 31 samples(72.1%), Candida spp. in 5 samples(11.6%) and molds in 7 samples(16. 3%). KOH smear revealed the causative fungi in 63 samples : dermatophytes 56(88.9%), Candida spp. 4(6.3%) and molds 3(4.8%). KONCPA yielded the highest positivity by detecting the pathogenic fungi in 86 samples(95.8%): dermatophytes 60(69.8%), Candida spp. 8(9.3%), molds 10 (11.6%) and mixed infections 8(9.3%). 3. Compared with the results of fungus culture, 3 groups of fungi showed morphologic differences on KONCPA test: dermatophyte showing septated long and thin hyphae and a few arthrospores, Candida sp. showing blastospores and/or grape-like clusters of regular spores and pseudohyphae, and mold showing irregular hyphae with variable width and aggregates of irregular spores. 4. Of the 52 samples which were negative in fungus culture, 33(63.5%) showed findings of dermatophyte, 2(3.8% ) of Candida sp., 2(3.8% ) of mold and the remaining 11 samples(21.2% ) were negative on KOH smear, Of these 52 samples, KONCPA diagnosed 34(65.4%) to be dermatophytes, 6(11.5%) Candida syp., 6(11.5%) molds, 1(1.9%) mixed infection and 2 samples(3.8%) to be negative. CONCLUSION: KONCPA test is useful in the diagnosis of onychomycosis because of its higher positive rate in detecting the causative fungi compared with fungus culture or KOH smear. It is also a timesaving and simple procedure Furthermore, in case that KOH smear and fungus culture fail to identify the causative fungi, it is possible to make a presumptive diagnosis by the findings of KONCPA test.
Arthrodermataceae ; Candida ; Coinfection ; Diagnosis ; Fungi ; Humans ; Hyphae ; Onychomycosis* ; Spores

BACKGROUND: Onychomycosis is one of the most common nail disorders, but dermatologists have experienced poor efficacy ol therapy because of incorrect diagnosis. It has been reported that histopathologic evaluation of the nail plate by nail clipping might be a useful supportive method for identification of causative fungi showing higher detection rates. OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to determine whether histopathologic examination support for identification of causative fungi and whether it increased. The diagnostic sensitivity of onychomycosis even in cases that those fungus culture fail to identify the causative fungi, and to clarify the relative frequency of causative fungi in onychomycosis. METHODS: Histopathologic findings of 218 onychomycotic nail samples, proven by KOH smear, were analyzed and compared with the results of fungus culture. RESULTS: The results were as follows; 1. Histopathologic examination showed higher positive rate (73.9%) than that of fungus culture (35.8%) in identifying the etiologic fungi. 2. The 3 groups of causative fungi confirmed by fungus culture showed morphologically distinguishable characteristics in histopathologic examination: Dermatophytes showed septated long, thin and regular hyphae with or without arthrospores, while Candida sp. showed blastospores, grape-like clusters of regular spores and pseudohyphae. Mold exhibited irregular hyphae with variable width and aggregates of irregular spores. Mixed infections showed the characteristic findings of the corresponding groups at the different sites of the nail samples. 3. Frequency of the causative fungi by fungus culture was 88.5% of dermatophytes, 5.1% of Candida sp. and 6.4% of mold. In histopathologic examination, the frequency was considered as 80.7% of dermatophytes,8.1% of Candida sp.,6.2% of mold and 1.9% of mixed infection. 4. In 42 of 59 samples of T. rubrum and 3 of 10 samples of T. mentagrophytes, hyphae were observed on the ventral and dorsal layer of the nail plate, respectively. In histopathologic sections, 88 of 130 samples of dermatophytes showed fungal element on the ventral layer of the nail plate and all 13 samples of Candida sp. on the subungal keratin layer and ventral layer of the nail plate. CONCLUSION: Histopathologic examination in onychomycosis is considered to be simple, useful supportive method in studying the classification and distribution of causative fungi of onychomycosis and might be included in the routine laboratory tests for making the presumptive diagnosis of causative fungi of onychomycosis. Moreover, we can determine the site of involvement of the fungi in the nail, so we can get useful informations about mixed infections or contaminations
Arthrodermataceae ; Candida ; Classification ; Coinfection ; Diagnosis ; Fungi* ; Hyphae ; Onychomycosis* ; Spores

Upper airway tuberculosis usually develops as a secondary infection from pulmonary tuberculosis, and primary upper airway tuberculosis, especially in nasopharynx, is a rare disease. The appropriate treatment for nasopharyngeal tuberculosis has been difficult because of complicated initial diagnosis and suspicion. Physicians should consider various granulomatous diseases in differential diagnosis. However, upper airway tuberculosis can be highly contagious, like pulmonary tuberculosis; therefore, early diagnosis and proper management are important. We recently experienced the successful early diagnosis and treatment of two cases of nasopharyngeal tuberculosis and report these cases with a review of the literature.
Coinfection ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Early Diagnosis ; Nasopharynx* ; Rare Diseases ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

COVID-19/diagnosis* ; Coinfection/diagnosis* ; Female ; HIV Infections/diagnosis* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Severity of Illness Index

PURPOSE: To report a case of corneal ulcer caused by Leclercia adecarboxylata in an immunocompetent patient. CASE SUMMARY: A previously healthy 43-year-old female presented with right ocular pain and was referred to our clinic under the impression of corneal abrasion and secondary infection. The patient was treated at a local clinic for 3 days using artificial tears, therapeutic contact lens, topical antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory eye drops but showed no improvement. Gram staining, bacterial and fungal cultures and antibiotic sensitivity test were performed from a corneal scrape. The cultures revealed growth of Leclercia adecarboxylata. The patient was treated with moxifloxacin and ofloxacin eye drops. After 2 weeks of treatment, the infection resolved without remaining scars. CONCLUSIONS: Reportedly, Leclercia adecarboxylata affects humans only as an opportunistic pathogen or part of polymicrobial infections. However, in the present case, Leclercia adecarboxylata was isolated as a single pathogen in an immunocompetent patient which is the first clinical report of this microorganism found in an ocular sample. Therefore, if antibiotic-susceptible gram-negative bacilli are found in opthalmologic samples, the above bacteria should be considerd in the diagnosis.
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Cicatrix ; Coinfection ; Corneal Ulcer* ; Diagnosis ; Enterobacteriaceae* ; Female ; Humans ; Ofloxacin ; Ophthalmic Solutions

BACKGROUND: Onychomycosis is one of the most common nail disorders, and it is necessary of mycologic confirmation to treat correctly. It has been reported that histopathologic evaluation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the nail plate by nail clipping might be a useful supportive method for identification of causative fungi showing higher detection rates. Objective: This study was designed to compare diagnostic efficacy of KOH preparation, fungal culture, histopathologic examination and PCR in onychomycosis. METHODS: Using 60 nail samples from 60 patients with clinically suspected onychomycosis, KOH preparation and fungal culture with nail and subungual tissue was performed. And histopathologic examination with PAS staining and PCR with DNA extracted from paraffin block was performed. RESULTS: The results are summarized as follows: 1. The positive rates of conventional KOH preparation, fungal culture, histopathologic examination and PCR were 87.5%, 8.9%, 87.5% and 83.9%. 2. In histopathologic examination, fungi were distinguished as 3 groups based on Kim and Cho's classification (1997): dermatophytes, Candida sp. and non-dermatophytic mold (NDM). Fifteen of 49 samples are dermatophytes, 1 is Candida sp., and 7 are NDM, 8 are dermatophytes and Candida sp. mixed infections, 18 are dermatophytes and NDM mixed infections. 3. In PCR, 1 of 47 samples is Trichophyton rubrum, 4 are Candida sp. and 39 samples are NDM. CONCLUSION: Histopathologic examination in onychomycosis is considered to be an useful supportive method in diagnosis and identification of causative fungi in onychomycosis.
Arthrodermataceae ; Candida ; Classification ; Coinfection ; Diagnosis* ; DNA ; Fungi ; Humans ; Onychomycosis* ; Paraffin ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Trichophyton

BACKGROUND: Condyloma acuminatum is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Although it is a relatively common disease, there has been no epidemiological and clinical study of condyloma acuminatum performed in Korea since 1978. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the clinical features of condyloma acuminatum in Korean patients, to identify the genotypes of HPV, as well as determine factors associated with recurrence of condyloma acuminatum. METHODS: We studied 80 patients (60 men and 20 women) diagnosed with condyloma acuminatum. We analyzed age, sex, duration of the disease, number and locations of lesions, underlying diseases and co-infection with STDs, treatment modalities, and number of relapses. Additionally, 26 patients were analyzed for HPV subtypes. We also evaluated factors affecting recurrence of condyloma. RESULTS: Mean age at the time of diagnosis was 36.9±17.7 years and mean duration of disease was 7.2±16.5 months. The most common sites of involvement were found to be the penile shaft in men and the labia majora in women. We observed that 28 patients showed relapse with a mean duration of 1.5±4.5 months. HPV genotyping revealed that type 6, 11, and 44 genotypes that are associated with a low risk of malignancy were detected in 76.9% of cases, and type 16, 18, 51, 52, and 66 genotypes associated with a high risk of malignancy were detected in 15.3% cases. A significant relationship was observed between the recurrence rates of condyloma acuminatum and the rates of co-infection with STDs and the number of lesions. CONCLUSION: We report a recent epidemiological and clinical review analyzing genotypes of HPV in Korean patients presenting with condyloma acuminatum.
Clinical Study ; Coinfection ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Genotype* ; Humans* ; Korea ; Male ; Recurrence ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Cardiac tamponade due to purulent pericarditis with a characteristic greenish fluid is rare in this antibiotic era. It is highly fatal despite early diagnosis and advanced treatment. Gram-positive cocci are the leading cause of purulent pericarditis, which usually results from a direct or hematogenous spread of organisms to the pericardium from the primary foci of infection. We describe an index case of rapidly developing pericardial tamponade caused by oropharyngeal polymicrobial infection in the absence of a primary source of infection in a 62-year-old man, who was successfully managed with emergency large-volume pericardiocentesis followed by pericardiectomy.
Cardiac Tamponade* ; Coinfection* ; Early Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Middle Aged ; Gram-Positive Cocci ; Pericardiectomy ; Pericardiocentesis ; Pericarditis* ; Pericardium

Actinomyces ; growth & development ; Coinfection ; Humans ; Maxillary Sinus ; Maxillary Sinusitis ; diagnosis ; microbiology

BACKGROUND: PCR-based reverse blot hybridization assay (PCR-REBA) has high sensitivity and specificity, can be performed directly on nail samples, is relatively cheaper than other molecular biologic methods, and is useful for diagnosing onychomycosis. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to compare the diagnostic efficacy of fungal culture and REBA Fungus-ID® which is a commercial PCR-REBA-based kit used for onychomycosis diagnosis. METHODS: Fifty nail samples were collected from 50 patients diagnosed with onychomycosis via direct microscopic examination using KOH preparation, and subjected to fungal culture and REBA Fungus-ID® test. RESULTS: The sensitivity of conventional fungal culture and REBA Fungus-ID® was 56% and 100%, respectively. In REBA Fungus-ID®, 43 of 50 samples were found to be infected with Trichophyton rubrum. Four of the remaining 7 samples were identified as infected with Trichophyton spp., one with Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and two revealed a panfungal DNA sequence. In fungal culture, 28 of 50 samples showed growth, of which 18 samples were identified as T. rubrum, 3 as Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, 3 as Cladosporium spp., 1 as Cyphellophora europaea, 1 as Penicillium cvjetkovicii, 1 as Lachnum soppittii, and 1 as non-dermatophytic mold. REBA Fungus-ID® and fungal culture were identical in 20 cases (40%). The non-dermatophytic fungi identified in fungal culture were considered contaminants. CONCLUSION: Nail specimens can be used directly for REBA Fungus-ID®, which has a high sensitivity for onychomycosis diagnosis. Therefore, it can be considered useful for diagnosis and identification of the causative organism in mixed infections like onychomycosis.
Base Sequence ; Cladosporium ; Coinfection ; Diagnosis* ; Fungi ; Humans ; Onychomycosis* ; Penicillium ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rhodotorula ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Trichophyton