Dermatophytosis in cats: A comprehensive study on diagnostic methods and their accuracy

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Mycology
• Diagnostic Microbiology

Background:

• Feline dermatophytosis is a contagious fungal infection with zoonotic potential, impacting animal and public health.
• Accurate diagnosis is vital for disease control, treatment, and preventing spread.
• A lack of comparative data on diagnostic methods from single samples necessitates further research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively assess the accuracy and efficacy of various diagnostic techniques for feline dermatophytosis.
• To compare the performance of dermoscopy, direct examination, fungal culture, and PCR on identical feline samples.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 48 feline samples using dermoscopy, direct hair examination, fungal culture (Mycosel, Sabouraud, Dermatophyte Test Medium), and PCR.
• Comparative evaluation of diagnostic test performance.

Main Results:

• Direct examination and dermoscopy provided unsatisfactory diagnostic results.
• Mycosel and Sabouraud fungal culture media were suboptimal.
• Dermatophyte Test Medium (DTM) showed superior selectivity among traditional methods.
• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) demonstrated the highest sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy.

Conclusions:

• PCR is identified as the top-performing diagnostic method for feline dermatophytosis.
• The study suggests PCR as a preferred diagnostic choice in clinical settings requiring rapid and accurate results.
• A multifaceted diagnostic approach may still be beneficial, with PCR as the leading technique.