RESUMO
Objective: To determine the frequency of Candida albicans in patients with funguria
Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, from July to December 2012
Methodology: Patients' urine samples with fungus/Candida were included. Candida albicans was identified by the production of tubular structures [germ tubes] on microscopy as per standard procedure followed by inoculation on Chrom agar [Oxoid] and Corn Meal-Tween 80 agar [Oxoid]. The identification of other non-albicans Candida species was also done both microscopically and macroscopically as per standard procedure
Results: Out of the 289 isolates, 204 [70.6%] were male patients and 85 [29.4%] were female patients, with 165 [57.1%] from the out-patients and 124 [42.9%] from the in-patients. Five species of Candida were found to be prevalent including 87 [30.1%] Candida albicans, 176 [60.9%] Candida tropicalis, 14 [4.8%] Candida parapsilosis, 8 [2.8%] Candida glabrata and 4 [1.4%] Candida lusitaniae. Majority of patients with funguria were aged above 50 years [60.2%]
Conclusion: In the present study, 30.1% patients with funguria had Candida albicans. The most frequently isolated species was Candida tropicalis [60.9%], followed by other non-albicans Candida. This study has shown the emergence of non-albicans Candida as a major cause of candiduria