Diagnosis of Fungal nail infection

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Initial diagnosis is often made through a visual examination of the nail. Your GP can look for discolouration, thickening and other visible symptoms of fungal infection. However, the appearance of this type of infection can sometimes be confused with other things such as injury to the nail bed.

Laboratory tests are therefore sometimes required. A sample of the fungus will be taken, either using a small scraper underneath the nail, or taking a nail clipping. This can be examined under a microscope, to identify the exact species of fungi involved in the infection.

A test to show whether fungi are present can be done by applying a substance called periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) to a sample from the nail. Any fungi will be stained red.