title: Evaluation of incubation time for dermatophytes cultures.
abstract: In general, it is recommended to incubate dermatophytes cultures for a minimum of 4 weeks. Several aspects of routine fungal cultures should be evaluated in order to implement appropriate and necessary changes. The aim of this study was to determine the optimum incubation time for routine dermatophytes cultures, analysing the time to find first fungal growth by visual observation. We recorded the time when the initial growth was detected for all dermatophyte isolates during a 4-year period. A total of 5459 dermatophyte cultures were submitted to our laboratory. From the total cultures, only 16 (1.42%) isolates were recovered over/after 17 days of incubation and only three dermatophyte species were recovered over 17 days. Fourteen isolates belong to Trichophyton rubrum, one isolate to Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex and one isolate to Epidermophyton floccosum. We concluded that an incubation period of 17 days is enough to establish a microbiological diagnosis of dermatophytosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Hospital Miguel Servet, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rezusta
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hospital Ernest Lluch, Calatayud, Spain.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de la Fuente
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hospital San Jorge, Huesca, Spain.
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gilaberte
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiolgy, Clinical Microbiology Labortory, Hospital Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Matxalen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vidal-García
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiolgy, Clinical Microbiology Labortory, Hospital Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alcalá
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiolgy, Clinical Microbiology Labortory, Hospital Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López-Calleja
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiolgy, Clinical Microbiology Labortory, Hospital Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria Angeles
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiolgy, Clinical Microbiology Labortory, Hospital Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Revillo
mesh_terms: D003883:Arthrodermataceae / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004821:Epidermophyton / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009172:Mycology / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors; D014005:Tinea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D014249:Trichophyton / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification
keywords: dermatophyte carriage; dermatophytes; dermatophytosis; incubation time; mycoses; onychomycosis