DESCRIPTIONS OF MEDICAL FUNGI

Descriptions of Medical Fungi 237
SPECIALISED CULTURE MEDIA
Hair Perforation Test
For the differentiation of Trichophyton species.
Blonde pre-pubital hair cut into short pieces (1 cm) 10-20 hairs
Distilled water
5 mL
1. Autoclave hair at 121 O C for 10 minutes and store in sterile container.
2. Place 10-20 short pieces of hair in 5 mL water in vial.
3. Inoculate with small fragments of the test fungus.
4. Incubate at room temperature.
5. Individual hairs are removed at intervals up to 4 weeks and examined
microscopically in lactophenol cotton blue. Isolates of T. mentagrophytes
produce marked localised areas of pitting and marked erosion whereas
those of T. rubrum do not.
Lactritmel Agar
For the production of pigment by Trichophyton species.
Skimmed milk powder
7 g
(use only Dutch Jug skimmed milk powder)
Honey
10 g
Cornmeal agar (Oxoid CM0103)
17 g
Chloramphenicol
0.05 g
Distilled water
1000 mL
1. Weigh skimmed milk into stainless steel jug. Slowly add some water,
mixing milk into smooth paste. Continue adding small quantities of
water until powder is dissolved (about 150 mL).
2. Weigh other ingredients into skimmed milk and allow to soak.
3. Boil remaining water, and with it wash out honey from beaker.
4. Add to other ingredients and boil.
5. Dispense for slopes (7 mL).
6. Autoclave for 10 minutes at 121 O C.
7. On removal from autoclave allow to stand 5 minutes then shake and
then angle to form slopes on racks.
Note: Do not filter or adjust pH.
Littman Oxgall Agar
For the differentiation of Trichophyton species.
Littman oxgall agar (US Biological L3025)
27.5 g
Distilled water
500 mL
1. Soak agar in 100 mL of water. Boil remaining 400mL in a separate
container.
2. When water has boiled add to soaking agar and bring back to the boil,
stirring constantly.
3. Dispense for slopes.
4. Autoclave for 10 minutes at 121 O C, remove and then angle to form
slopes on racks.