An improved method for the isolation of fungi in onychomycosis

A description is given of the use of a drill for obtaining nail samples for fungal culture in cases of onychomycosis. The nail dust produced by the drill is collected by suction into a bag, and used to inoculate culture plates. Nail dust was found to be greatly superior to clippings for the successful culture of both dermatophytes and non‐dermatophytes. Possible reasons for this are discussed and it is suggested that in dermatological practice a drill should be used for sampling nails where attempts to culture from clippings have failed.

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