DIAGNOSTICS OF PHARYNX MYCOSIS

Aim - to characterize different methods for diagnosis of mycotic lesions of the pharynx used in medical practice. Materials and methods. This article describes various methods of laboratory diagnostics of tonsillopharyngeal mycosis and their indications; and presents the analysis of 117 adult cases of tonsillopharyngeal mycosis confirmed by the analysis of thick blood film after the incubation in thermoregulator combined with blood agar inoculation. In addition, this method includes a microflora test which in most chronical cases accompanies pharyngeal mycosis. Results. The study revealed relevant advantages of the presented methods of pharynx mycosis diagnostics, which not only detect the presence of mycelium and its morphology, but also evaluate its role in the inflammatory process. In addition, this method includes bacterial culture test that in most chronical cases accompanies pharynx mycosis. Out of 100% only 17.9% of observations (21 patients) showed Candida fungus in parasitic phase as mono-infection, the other 82.1% of cases proved bacterial presence. The most frequent combination was Candida and Streptococcus spp (including pneumococcus) that made up 41.9% of total observations. In 10.3% of cases Staphylococcus spp was detected. Other patients had more than two kinds of microorganisms. The following combinations were revealed: fungi, streptococci and staphylococci in 17.9% cases; fungi and streptococci with Klebsiella and\or Moraxella catarrhalis or other opportunistic pathogenic microflora in 12% cases. Conclusions. The most effective method of research of upper airway mycosis is the one that enables to reveal Candida fungi presence and concentration as well as to identify their status (saprophitic or parasitic) in the patient's body using thick blood microscopy. The value of this method increases with simultaneous evaluation of associated microflora and its relation to macroorganism. Being simple, cost-effective and highly informative, complex method of diagnostics of upper airway mycosis can be widely used in medical practice.

diagnostics, mycosis, pharynx, tonsils