Histopathology and Histochemistry in Cutaneous Fungal Infections / 대한의진균학회지

ABSTRACT

Dermatomycosis refers to any fungal infection of the skin and may be caused by dermatophytes, yeast, or other fungi, including those that do not usually cause cutaneous disease. Clinical diagnosis of a dermatomycosis can be confirmed by microscopic detection of fungal elements, by identification of the species through culture, or by histologic evidence of the presence of fungal material in the tissue. In superficial mycoses, direct smear with KOH and fungal culture are the most valuable and useful diagnostic methods. For this reason, skin biopsy is not often employed in the workup of dermatophytosis or other superficial mycoses. But it is useful in diagnosis of deep fungal infections and some lesions in which KOH examination of scale is negative. This review article aims to provide insights on the histopathology and various special stains in diagnosing dermatomycosis.