The Cotton Swab Technic for the Culture of Dermatophyte Infections--its Efficacy and Merit

A set of three comparison studies under varying conditions was performed to determine the efficacy of a cotton swab technic for obtaining material for culture of dermatophyte infections. Matched fungal cultures, one by swab and one by scrape, on each of 110 subjects showed that there was no difference in the two methods. The merits of this culture technic are explored and the conclusion is drawn that the cotton swab is an efficient and reliable adjunct to the practice of dermatology.