Cells from the affected area are taken, put on a slide with a potassium hydroxide solution, and viewed under a microscope to check for fungus symptoms. If a person exhibits any of the following signs of a nail, hair, or skin fungal infection, a KOH test may be advised:

• confined rash
• crimson patches in the form of rings with scaly borders
• skin itchiness that is quite bad Rashes that don't go away or get worse after using corticosteroid drugs
• skin conditions that last for months
• Fungi, including dermatophytes, can be detected using a KOH test.

Fungi called dermatophytes to need keratin to develop. Especially in children, they frequently infect the scalp, genitalia, and feet with skin diseases.

Before the Test:

If you see your doctor for treatment of a rash that they suspect, based on a visual inspection, may be caused by a fungal infection, they'll probably do a KOH prep test right there in the office. You won't have to make another appointment.

The actual test will take a few minutes and will go as follows:

• A tiny scalpel or the edge of a glass slide s used to scrape the afflicted skin or nail delicately.
• A few drops of potassium hydroxide (KOH) solutions are added after the skin scrapings are put on a microscope slide.
• After a brief heating period, the decline is inspected under a microscope.
• Alkaline potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution can dissolve keratin scraped off the skin's epidermis.
• Any fungus present is liberated as the KOH dissolves the substance holding the skin cells together.
• When the doctor, nurse, or other medical professional scrapes your skin, you might feel pressure.
• If the sample is being collected from under a nail or from a fragile location, the scraping could occasionally feel a little unpleasant.
• Yet, the actual surgery itself rarely causes any pain. The skin may be a little sensitive, where it was scraped after the test, but this will go away in a few days.

Analysing the Findings:

• Your healthcare professional can determine whether there is any fungus in the liquid by looking at it under a microscope because KOH kills all non-fungal cells.
• Your skin sample did not contain any fungus, according to the results.
• This indicates that something other than a fungal infection is to blame for your skin rash.
• Results The abnormal results are the presence of fungus, which is causing your skin rash.
• Dermatophytes, which include epidermophyton, trichophyton, and Microsporum, can be detected with a KOH test. Furthermore, Candida albicans might be examined.
• Raised, itchy skin rashes can also be brought on by the same yeast that causes vaginal infections and oral thrush.
• The KOH practice test can be used to identify common skin diseases like:
  • An athlete's foot ringworm
  • Icky jock
  • Toenail fungus infections

Before you leave the session, your healthcare professional will share the rest with you and discuss your treatment options. A KOH test merely indicates the presence of fungus; it does not identify the type of fungus. It's typically not required to know precisely what kind of fungus is responsible for the rash; your dermatologist can make an educated guess and recommend a course of action.