Identification of tinea

Now we will look at these -

• Colour of the colony – white, cream, brown, purple tinge

• Consistency – granular, suede

• Edge – glabrous

• Back – brown, red, white, yellow, orange

• Back- sharply defined or not sharply defined

• Microscopy – Macroconidia mostly, or sparse

• Macroconidia – smooth/rough surface, beak present/absent

• Microconidia – shape – small, large, circular, ovoid, club-shaped,

• Microconidia – broad base, narrow base

• Hyphae – look for spiral hyphae

B. Look for a terminal beak in the macroconidia

C. If smooth macroconidia (usually less abundant) present - Look at colony

D. If mainly microconidia are visible

E. Look for spiral hyphae

F. If spiral hyphae are present, look at microconidia structure and colony

G. If no spiral hyphae present – look at the edge of the colony. Is there a yellow glabrous fringe edge?

H. If the glabrous edge is present – look at the back of the colony and check how long it is been incubating

I. If no glabrous edge – look at the back of the colony, colony colour and microconidia

1. Bright yellow back = T erinacei

2. Back red, cream or brown = Trichophyton interdigitale, T rubrum, tonsurans

J. for group 2 - Look at microconidia and colony

Microconidia small, club shaped

Back – reverse may be cream or if brown – not sharply defined