Background: Trichophyton violaceum is an anthropophilic dermatophyte. It is the most common etiologic agent causing dermatophytosis especially tinea capitis in Egypt. As routine phenotypic identification of dermatophytes is either slow or lack specificity, improved identification methods are required. The application of PCR has made rapid and precise identification of T. violaceum possible.
Aim: This study was designed to correlate between phenotypic and genotypic identification of T. violaceum.
Subjects: Two hundred patients with tinea capitis (122 males and 78 females) with a mean age of 8.5±3.1 were the subjects of this study.
Methods: Phenotypic identification of T. violaceum determined by observation of its macroscopic and microscopic characteristics and culture on differential media was correlated with ITS-based PCR.
Results: Genotypic identification results of T. violaceum in comparison with phenotypic identification results were identical.
Conclusion: Although there is no difference between the results of phenotypic and genotypic identification methods of T. violaceum isolates, genotypic method is recommended as it is rapid and accurate.