BACKGROUND: Dermatophytes are usually identified based on their characteristic morphologies and physiological tests. However, identification is often delayed and problematic for atypical isolates. Recently, random amplified polymorphic DNA(RAPD) analysis was successfully performed for the identification of dermatophyes. OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to identify clinical isolates which could not be identified previously. The causes of unidentification were analysed and the merits and demerits of RAPD analysis were evaluated. METHODS: Thirty-six clinical isolates and 14 standard strains were included in this study. Seven mycological studies were performed and RAPD analysis was done by using primer OPAO-15 (5'-GAAGGCTCCC-3'). RESULTS: Based on the results of 7 mycological tests, 28 strains were confirmed as follows: 24, T. rubrum; 2, T. mentagrophytes; 2, T. raubitschekii. Four were considered as atypical strains of T. rubrum, and another 4 as non-dermatophytic moulds. This results were confirmed by RAPD analysis. CONCLUSION: RAPD analysis was useful for the identification of dermatophytes, especially the atypical strains. However, non-dermatophytic mould could not be identified by RAPD analysis. RAPD analysis was considered as a supplementary method to the conventional mycological studies for the identification of dermatophytes.
Arthrodermataceae* ; DNA* ; Mycology

For the education, sharing the information and research for medical mycology, the Korean Society for Medical Mycology (KSMM) was established in March 9, 1994. Since 1994, meetings of the KSMM have been held annually in June, workshop in August, and symposium in November. The First Symposium Workshop of the KSMM was held on July 12, 1997. Main topics for lectures and practices included identification and microscopic findings of dermatophytes. Also identification of unidentified pathogenic organisms, Malassezia, and Candida were done. The First Mycology Workshop of the KSMM was held on 14 November 1998. Main topics for lectures and practices included identification and microscopic findings of dermatophytes. Also identification of unidentified pathogenic organisms, Malassezia, and Candida were done. Since December 1996, Korean Journal of Medical Mycology, official journal of the KSMM, had been published biannually. Since volume 5 in 2000, it has been published quarterly and one hundred forty copies have been distributed in worldwide.
Arthrodermataceae ; Candida ; Education ; Lectures ; Malassezia ; Mycology*

For the education, sharing the information and research for medical mycology, the Korean Society for Medical Mycology (KSMM) was established in March 9, 1994. Since 1994, meetings of the KSMM have been held annually in June, workshop in August, and symposium in November. The First Symposium Workshop of the KSMM was held on July 12, 1997. Main topics for lectures and practices included identification and microscopic findings of dermatophytes. Also identification of unidentified pathogenic organisms, Malassezia, and Candida were done. The First Mycology Workshop of the KSMM was held on 14 November 1998. Main topics for lectures and practices included identification and microscopic findings of dermatophytes. Also identification of unidentified pathogenic organisms, Malassezia, and Candida were done. Since December 1996, Korean Journal of Medical Mycology, official journal of the KSMM, had been published biannually. Since volume 5 in 2000, it has been published quarterly and one hundred forty copies have been distributed in worldwide.
Arthrodermataceae ; Candida ; Education ; Lectures ; Malassezia ; Mycology*

This mycological and cultural investigation was made in 86 cases of onychomycosis diagnosed on positive KOH wet mount at Chosun University Hospital from October, 1989 to February, 1990. The results were as follows : l. The ratio of male to female was 1.2:1. According to Zaiass classificat.ion, distal subungual onychomycosis (DSO) was the most predominant type(79 cases) and others, in decreasing frequency, were superficial white onychomycosis (SWO) (Fcases), total dyst,rophic onychomycosis (TDO) (1 cases, and proximal subungual onychomycosis (PSO) was not. found. 2. In DSO, isolat,ed fungi were T. mentagrophyte(31 cases), "i'. rubrum(23 c
Female ; Fungi ; Humans ; Male ; Mycology* ; Onychomycosis*

Medical mycology has gone through five distinct eras: 1) Fungi causing dermatophytoses, 2) Discovery of rare and fatal systemic mycoses, 3) Realization that fungi cause common and subclinical diseases, 4) AIDS and the era of the compromised host, 5) Broad-spectrum antifungals with few side effects. Chromoblastomycosis caused by a group of dematiaceous fungi is a common disease in china. To date almost 500 cases have been repoted. This article aims to introduce epidemiology, microbiology, clinical features, laboratory diagnosis and treatment of chromoblastomycosis in china.
China ; Chromoblastomycosis ; Clinical Laboratory Techniques ; Fungi ; Mycology ; Mycoses ; Tinea

The reports on the subcutaneous infection cases by the opportunistic fungi, reported in Korean Journal of Dermatology, Annals of Dermatology and Korean Journal of Medical Mycology from 1960 to 1999, were summarized. The opportunistic subcutaneous fungal diseases were cryptococcosis, aspergillosis, mucormycosis, pheohypomycosis, pseudallescheriasis, chromomycosis, paecilomycosis, fusariosis, sporotrichosis. Only two cases were the systemic infection with cutaneous manifestations and the others were the primary cutaneous infection. Besides sporotrichosis, all the fungal diseases began to be reported since 1980's. The total number of the cases was insidiously increased.
Aspergillosis ; Chromoblastomycosis ; Cryptococcosis ; Dermatology ; Fungi ; Fusariosis ; Mucormycosis ; Mycology ; Sporotrichosis

Diagnosis of dermatophytosis is relatively easy with the typical clinical feature but sometimes we need more studies such as direct microscopy and culture to confirm the diseaee. The direct microscopic test is simple and ra.pid, but the result is often complexing, and the culture needs rnuch experience, skill, and deep knowledge in mycology. In 1959, Taplin et al. devised Dermatophyte Test Medium(DTM) which contains phcnol red as a color indicator for the simplified diagnosis of dermatophytosis. Result can be evaluated by noting the change of the color indicator of the medium. from yellow to red without detailed knowledge of colony morphology. So the non-mycologist can recognize well by color change of the medium. Moreover DTM is superior to Sabouraud medium in eliminating bacterial contamination, allowing a higher recovery rate and early recongnizing, since the color change of the medium begin to appear with the growth of fungus. The cultures were done on DTM and Sabouraud medium in 105 cases of the suspected dermatophytosis. In DTM, dermatophytes were cultured in 53 cases(M. canis 1, T. mentagrophytes 24, T. rubrum 28) and the color changes were observed in all of them. The others were 29 cases of Candida spp. 5 cases of saprophytes, and only one case of bacterial contaminatiion was observed. Compared with DTM, the dermatophytes were cultured in 36 cases and bacterial contamination were 16 csses in Sabouraud medium. The colors of DTM of 53 cases of dermatophytes were changed to red between the second to fourteenth day after culture. In 8 cases of Candida spp. among 29, 3 cases of saprophytes among 5, thc color change of DTM begin to appear after tenth day of culture. So DTM is very useful for the diagnosis of dermatophytosis by unsk;illed personnel under most environmental condition with only redimentary knowledges of colonial morphology to distinguish contaminant fungi and bacteria from dermatophytes.
Arthrodermataceae* ; Bacteria ; Candida ; Diagnosis ; Dronabinol ; Fungi ; Microscopy ; Mycology ; Tinea

Botween April 1991 and March 1992, a multicenter open trial was done to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of itraconazole in the treatment of onychomycosis, 116 patients with onychomycosis diagnosed by clinical and mycological finding were recruited from the 24 university hospitals in Korea. They received 100mg of oral itraconazole once a day until clinical improvement was evident or until 12 months. Response to treatment was evaluated clinically and mycologically. Cure was complete absence of clinical lesions and negative mycological results. Marked improvment was minimal clinical lesions with negative mycology. Moderate improvement was some residual clinical lesions with positive mycology. Unchanged was no clinical response until 4 months after therapy. Obtained results were as follows. 1. Mean duration of treatment was 6.3+/-2.0 months (2-12), and 83 (70.7%) were cured, 27 (23.3%) showed marked improvement, 2 (1.7%) were moderately improved, 3 (2.6%) were unchanged, and 2 (1.7%) were excluded due to the possible side effect of the medication, although they showed moderate improvement. 2. When only fingernails were involved, mean duration of treatment was 5.3+/-2.0 months with cure rate of 81.8%. when toenails were involved, mean duration of treatment was 6.5+/-2.0 months, which was significantly longer than that in fingernail, however cure rate was 66.7%, which was not different from that in fingernail. 3. In cases that Candida spp. were causative organism, 91.7% were cured with marked improvement in another 8.3%. Onychomycosis due to dermatophytes were cured in 72.9%. However, when moulds or T. beigelii were isolated, only one out of six was cured. 4. 9 out of the 116 subjects showed possible side effects during itraconazole treatment. Gastrointestinal troubles were noted in seven, whicn were mostly mild and self-limited, however, in one patient, medications were withdrawn due to continuing gastric upset. In another patient, transient visual disturbance was noted and medications were also withdrawn. However, this patient was already suffereing from glaucoma and causal relationshiop was not established. Shoulder pain was noted in another one, however it was regarded probably unrelated to the drug, and medications were contiued without aggravation of the symptoms. 5. 88 patients were followed with serial biochemical liver function tests for two month interval. None of them showed evidence of hepatic injury during the entire observation period. From the above findings, oral itraconazole was regarded as more effective than the preexisting drugs in the treatment of onychomycosis, and also it was regarded safe in long term therapy.
Arthrodermataceae ; Candida ; Glaucoma ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Itraconazole* ; Korea ; Liver Function Tests ; Mycology ; Nails ; Onychomycosis* ; Shoulder Pain

BACKGROUND: There are three kinds of diseases caused by dematiaceous fungi: chromoblastomycosis, phaeohyphomycosis, and eumycotic mycetoma. The dematiaceous fungi have been identified and classified by morphological, biochemical and physiological tests. Recently molecular analysis has been introduced to the field of medical mycology. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the genetic diversity of dematiaceous fungi using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). METHODS: The dematiaceous fungal strains studied were eight clinical isolates of chromoblastomycosis and phaeohyphomycosis agents (3 strains of Fonsecaea pedrosoi, 2 strains of Exophiala dermatitidis, 1 strain of Exophiala jeanselmei, 1 strain of Phialophora verrucosa, 1 strain of Rhinocladiella aquaspersa) and 4 standard strains (F. pedrosoi IFM 4889, E. dermatitidis IFM 4828, P. verrucosa IFM 4928, R. aquaspersa IFM 4930). Total twelve strains of dematiaceous fungi were cultured on Sabouraud's dextrose broth and their DNA were extracted by bead-beating method. RESULTS: The optimal condition for PCR was template DNA 0.025 mg and annealing temperature 39 degrees C. The RAPD analysis using OPA 10 primer (5'-GTGATCGCAG-3') of Operon kit showed different patterns among dematiaceous fungi. But one clinical isolate of F. pedrosoi showed intra-specific variability. CONCLUSION: The RAPD analysis is considered a rapid and reliable method for identification and classification of dematiaceous fungi if the procedure is carefully standardized with adequate primer.
Chromoblastomycosis ; Classification ; DNA* ; Exophiala ; Fungi* ; Genetic Variation* ; Glucose ; Mycetoma ; Mycology ; Operon ; Phaeohyphomycosis ; Phialophora ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

China ; Classification ; Fungi ; classification ; genetics ; metabolism ; History, 20th Century ; Mycology ; history