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KONCPA: a new method for diagnosing tinea unguium
1Department of Dermatology, National Yang-Ming Medical College, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland)
|January 1, 1993
Summary
A new potassium hydroxide (KOH) and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining method (KONCPA) effectively diagnoses Tinea unguium (TU). This sensitive and inexpensive test is superior to traditional methods for identifying fungal hyphae in nail clippings.
Area of Science:
- Medical Mycology
- Diagnostic Pathology
Background:
- Tinea unguium (TU) is a prevalent fungal nail infection, particularly in tropical and subtropical areas.
- Accurate and efficient diagnostic methods are crucial for timely treatment and management of TU.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a novel diagnostic method for Tinea unguium using potassium hydroxide (KOH)-treated and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-stained nail clippings.
- To compare the efficacy of this new method, termed KONCPA, against conventional diagnostic techniques.
Main Methods:
- Nail clippings were treated with KOH, crushed, and stained with PAS to create KONCPA slides.
- The KONCPA method was compared with conventional KOH scraping, histopathology, and fungal culture.
- A modified KOH treatment (20% KOH at 56°C for 10 min) was assessed for softening nail specimens.
Main Results:
- The KONCPA method demonstrated a significantly higher positive detection rate (77%) compared to KOH scraping (44%), histopathology (60%), and fungal culture (16%).
- All specimens negative by KONCPA were also negative by the other three methods, indicating high specificity.
- KONCPA slides offer permanent record-keeping capabilities.
Conclusions:
- The KONCPA method is a highly sensitive, specific, and cost-effective diagnostic tool for Tinea unguium.
- This technique offers advantages over conventional methods in terms of fungal hyphae identification and diagnostic yield.
- The modified KOH treatment effectively softens nail plates for improved histopathologic processing.