Application of CHROMagar Candida for rapid screening of clinical specimens for Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida krusei, and Candida (Torulopsis) glabrata.

CHROMagar Candida is a new differential culture medium that allows selective isolation of yeasts and simultaneously identifies colonies of Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, and C. krusei. We evaluated the use of this medium with 316 yeast isolates including 247 isolated directly on CHROMagar from clinical material. Over 95% of stock and clinical isolates of C. albicans, C. tropicalis, and C. krusei were correctly identified on the basis of colony morphology and pigmentation on CHROMagar. Additionally, CHROMagar also allowed the identification of C. (Torulopsis) glabrata at a similar level of accuracy. The overall agreement between two observers in reading the CHROMagar plates was 95%. Growth of Candida sp. isolates on CHROMagar had no adverse effect on antifungal MICs or Vitek identification results. In parallel, cultures of 548 stool and rectal swab specimens set up on CHROMagar and Sabouraud glucose agar (SGA) were positive in 234 instances. CHROMagar was positive and SGA was negative for 11 specimens, and CHROMagar was negative and SGA was positive for 18 specimens. A single yeast species was isolated on both media from 162 specimens, and in 146 (90%) of these specimens the same species was detected on both CHROMagar and SGA. A total of 43 of the 234 positive cultures contained mixtures of yeast species. Twenty (47%) of these mixed cultures were detected only on CHROMagar. CHROMagar is extremely useful in making a rapid presumptive identification of common yeast species. This capability plus the ability to detect mixed cultures of Candida spp. promises to improve and streamline the work flow in the mycology and clinical microbiology laboratory.