Fungal diseases

Diagnostics

Only a doctor or dermatologist can make a reliable diagnosis. The latter first carries
out a visual inspection of the skin, if necessary with
the help of a special UV lamp (wood or woodlight
lamp). In case of an unclear diagnosis,
samples/swabs are also taken from the area
of the infected skin, mucous membrane, skin,
and first examined directly under the
microscope. If typical problems can already
be detected here, the diagnosis is already
clear in most cases. If the type of pathogen
also needs to be determined, a fungal culture
is created from the sample material. For
this purpose, the sample material is placed on
special culture media on which the fungi multiply.
These culture media are kept for several days,
sometimes also weeks, at certain temperatures
(incubated) until sufficient fungi have grown on them
(see illustration). Using the appearance of the culture developed in this manner
it is possible to draw conclusions about the type of pathogen. Normally, however, the pathogen cannot be reliably identified until the fungi grown on the culture has been viewed under the microscope again.

In certain cases, blood tests are necessary, which are often very time-consuming.

Clinical patterns

Onychomycoses (fungal disease of the nails)

The condition for this illness is existing damage to the nail, e.g. caused by excessively tight shoes, circulatory disorders, or metabolic diseases. It can be caused by mould or mixed infections. Nail fungi are usually caused by a neighbouring part of the skin being infected. The nail may then bulge out and become discoloured. In severe cases, so-called crumbling nails are formed. If bacterial pathogens also penetrate into the sick nail, an aggravating inflammation of the entire nail bed can result.

You can download a free information brochure on the topic of nail fungi here as a PDF document

Tinea (infection of the clear skin by filamentous fungi)

This disease is caused by dermatophytes. The term tinea is followed by the Latin term for the place where the fungal disease is located, e.g. capitis (head), corporis (body), or also any other place. Athlete's foot (tinea pedum) is also one of these diseases (see illustration).

If the infected places are on the trunk of the body, or on the arms, or legs, they typically look like this: The places are red and inflamed, round, and sharply defined. They can also itch, and individual focus points can flow into one other. There are often blisters, pustules, or scaly skin on the edge of the focus points.

The typical circular focus points are often missing on the feet and hands. Instead, fine cracks often appear between the toes, which can be very painful. The surfaces of the hands and feet are now covered with a flour dust-like scaly skin. Itching is also possible.

Candidoses

Candidoses are caused by yeast fungi. The most frequent type is Candida albicans (around 80% of cases). However, there are also considerably more than 100 other types of candida.
In some of the healthy population, evidence of Candida albicans can be found in the gastrointestinal tract, or more rarely on the skin without there being any disease. An elimination of the pathogens is usually not necessary. If, however, there is an immune deficiency, the pathogen can multiply unhindered and result in disease symptoms that must be treated. An acute yeast disease of the skin (skin candidosis) can often be found in the area of the skin folds where there is a moist and warm climate. These areas often itch or burn. Candida infections can also be found in the area of the corners of the mouth, oral mucous membrane, and many other areas. So-called nappy rash in infants is also very common. Candida infections of the mucous membranes are characterised by white coatings on an inflamed, reddened background that can be washed off. The infections of the skin folds (groin, armpits, under the breast) are reddened and weeping. Almost all of those affected report itching or burning.