Abstract: Objectives To compare the difference between multipoint inoculation and routine method for isolation of pathogenic fungi from nail samples of onychomycosis,and to analyze the epidemiology of pathogenic fungi in those patients.Methods The nail clipping samples from each patient were inoculated onto the plates with Sabouraud's agar,Sabouraud's agar without cycloheximide and medium containing rapeseed oil,respectively,by an approach of at least seven inoculating points in each plate (multipoint inoculation),and onto medium slope in tubes with the same media as above mentioned (routine method).In the multipoint inoculation method,plates with more than 3 colonies were taken for further identification of pathogenic fungi based on morphological and biochemical properties.Results Based on the data from 150 samples of onychomycosis,significant differences were found between multipoint inoculation method and routine method (P<0.05) with respects of isolation rates (65.3% vs.45.3%) and species constituent of dermatophytes (50.8% vs.73.2%),yeasts (46.7% vs.26.8%) and moulds (2.5% vs.0%).Yeasts were more likely to be isolated from the female,finger-nail,proximal subungual type and patients with lower scoring clinical index,while dermatophytes were more likely isolated from the male,toe-nail,distal lateral subungual type and patients with higher scoring clinical index.Conclusion Multipoint inoculation method seems to yield more yeasts than routine method,which is helpful for assessment of the constituent of pathogenic fungi and their epidemiological properties in onychomycosis.

Key words: Onychomycosis, Mitosporic fungi