Fungal Culture Test
Reviewed
Also called: Fungal culture and sensitivity, Mycology culture
A fungal culture test helps diagnose fungal infections. Fungal culture tests use different types of samples depending on the part of your body that's infected.
Specimen: Skin scrapings, nail clippings, body fluid (swab from mouth, vagina, or open sore), blood, urine, or sputum
Why this test may be ordered
- To find out if a fungus is causing an infection
- To help identify the type of fungus causing the infection
- To decide what treatment will work best
- To check if treatment for the infection is working
Preparation and collection
You don't need any special preparations to test for a fungal infection.
To do a fungal culture test you will need to provide a sample of cells or fluid from the part of your body where a fungus may be growing. Many types of fungi grow slowly in the lab, so your test results may not be ready for days or weeks.
There is very little risk to having any of the fungal culture tests. If a sample of your skin is taken, you may have a little bleeding or soreness at the site. If you get a blood test, you may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly.
Understanding results
Your test results will usually identify the specific type of fungus causing the infection.
- Positive: A positive test result means a fungus was found in your sample. You most likely have a fungal infection. Limitation: Many types of fungi grow slowly in the lab, so your test results may not be ready for days or weeks. Next step: Sometimes another test is done on your sample to help find out which type of medicine will kill the fungus or stop it from growing.
- Negative: A negative test result means that no fungi were found in your sample. Something else is probably causing your infection. Limitation: Many types of fungi grow slowly in the lab, so your test results may not be ready for days or weeks. Next step: If you have questions about your results, talk with your provider.
- Many types of fungi grow slowly in the lab, so test results may not be ready for days or weeks.
- A negative result does not completely rule out a fungal infection, especially if the sample was taken from a site with low fungal burden or if the fungus is slow-growing.
- A positive result does not distinguish between a superficial infection and a deep/systemic infection; clinical correlation is needed.
- The test may not identify all types of fungi, and additional tests may be needed to determine the best treatment.
What to do next
If you have questions about your results, talk with your provider. If you are being treated for a fungal infection, be sure to take all your medicine as prescribed, even if you feel better.
- What specific type of fungus was found in my sample?
- Do I need any additional tests to guide treatment?
- How long will it take for my infection to clear up?
- Are there any side effects of the antifungal medicine I should watch for?
- Can I spread this infection to others?
Evidence source
Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus). Practices and reference ranges may differ in your country.