Updating corneofungimetry: a bioassay exploring dermatomycoses and antifungal susceptibility.

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.