title: Efficacy of in-house fluorescent stain for fungus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mycotic infections are gaining importance in the present day medicine, and definite demonstration of fungus is essential for diagnosis. Small numbers of organisms in the smear can be identified by fluorescence microscopy. Calcofluor white (CFW) fluorescent stain is a textile brightener mixed with Evans blue. It is expensive and not easily available.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  (1) To assess the efficacy of in-house CFW fluorescent stain for fungus in relation to conventional CFW stain, histopathology, and culture. (2) To determine sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) with culture as gold standard.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred cases of suspected dermatophytosis and 15 cases of systemic mycosis were included in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The local whitener Ranipal is added with Robin blue, another brightener, and was used to stain teased fungal cultures. Skin, hair, and nails require pretreatment with potassium hydroxide (KOH). Biopsy slides require deparaffinization and pretreatment with KOH before staining. Conventional calcofluor stain, histopathology, and culture were done.
  
  
  METHODS
  Statistical analysis was performed using sensitivity, specificity, NPV, and PPV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results are consistently comparable with conventional stain. The sensitivity was 100%, specificity was 93.3%, NPV was 100%, and PPV was 85.7%. It is also cost effective when compared to commercial stains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In-house stain can be used for screening of fungus in direct samples, biopsies as alternative in resource-constrained laboratories.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: K R L Surya
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Kirani
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: V Satya
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Chandrika
mesh_terms: D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000379:methods*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005658:Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008828:Microbiological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D009181:Mycoses / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes