Vol 6, No 1, December 2015.

In-vitro susceptibility testing of dermatophytes isolated in Cairo, Egypt against eight antifungal agents by broth microdilution and disk diffusion methods


Abstract: Nine dermatophytic strains belonging to 7 species, namely Microsporum canis (1), Trichophyton tonsurans (1), Trichophyton rubrum (2), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (1), Trichophyton violaceaum (1), Arthroderma sp. (1), and Epidermophyton floccosum (2) isolated from clinical specimens in Cairo, Egypt were tested for their susceptibility toward eight antifungal drugs using broth microdilution and disk diffusion methods. The antifungals used were Amphotericin B, Itraconazole, Voriconazole, Fluconazole, Terbinafine, Ketoconazole, Griseofulvin and Caspofungin. Results of this study demonstrate that the broth-microdilution method is still the preferable method since it is reliable and helps in quantitative MICs determination. The in-vitro testing revealed also that Voriconazole, Itraconazole, Ketoconazole, Griseofulvin as well as Caspofungin (echinocandin) were the most active antifungal drugs against the dermatophytic strains tested. Keywords: antifungal susceptibility, dermatophytes, broth microdilution, disk diffusion, Egypt.