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Updating Corneofungimetry: A Bioassay Exploring Dermatomycoses and Antifungal Susceptibility

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Abstract

Superficial dermatomycoses are frequent conditions in humans and animals. Specific treatment modalities have been designed using a variety of different antifungal compounds. The need for antifungal susceptibility testing (AST) has been growing steadily over the last two decades due to the extending number of newer antifungal agents. Objective inter- and intraindividual comparisons of their respective efficacies are nearly impossible to perform in vivo. Currently, a series of standardized AST methods and interpretative guidelines have been designed. However, their clinical relevance for dermatomycoses is not consistent. The corneofungimetry bioassay was designed to test comparatively a series of antifungals on pathogenic fungi growing on sheets of human stratum corneum. Computerized morphometric assessments bring numerical values allowing statistical comparisons. Variants of corneofungimetry address more specific aspects related to fungal cell adhesion, fungitoxicity and lipid-dependent fungi.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant from the “Fonds d’Investissement de la Recherche Scientifique” of the University Hospital of Liège. No other sources of funding were used to assist in the preparation of this manuscript. The authors have no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this review. The authors appreciate the excellent secretarial assistance of Mrs. Ida Leclercq and Marie Pugliese.

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  1. Department of Dermatopathology, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium

    Gérald E. Piérard, Claudine Piérard-Franchimont & Pascale Quatresooz

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  1. Gérald E. Piérard
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Correspondence to Gérald E. Piérard.

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Piérard, G.E., Piérard-Franchimont, C. & Quatresooz, P. Updating Corneofungimetry: A Bioassay Exploring Dermatomycoses and Antifungal Susceptibility. Mycopathologia 169, 27–35 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-009-9227-3

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