What is mycology: description, main directions, indications, contraindications

Mycology is a narrowly focused area of clinical medicine that studies fungal infections of the skin, hair, and nails. Mycology is related to phytopathology, and is sometimes called a specialized area of dermatology. Mycology involves complex medical therapy of fungi with drugs. This direction is represented by a mycologist.

Symptoms that require a visit to a mycologist

Clinical mycology studies the pathogenesis, epidemiology and classification of mycoses, examining various lesions of the nails, hair and skin:

• color change, thickening, deformation of the nail plate;
• local hair loss;
• dandruff;
• flaking, itching, rash, redness on the arms and legs;
• appearance of pale spots on the skin;
• baldness of small areas of the head;
• scaly bumps.

Diseases that are studied mycology

Developing methods for diagnosing and treating parasitic fungi, mycology includes two large groups of diseases in its field of study:

• fungal (mycosis, onychomycosis, trichophytosis);
• non-fungal (the problem is not associated with fungal infections, but with poor nutrition, smoking, ignoring personal hygiene rules) - splitting nails, bruises, calluses, hangnails.

The mycologist's competence includes the treatment of diseases caused by two types of fungus:

• mold (trichophytosis, epidermophytosis and microsporia);
• yeast (candidiasis).

Diagnostics and therapeutic measures in mycology

The main procedures that mycology uses to identify pathologies:

• laboratory tests;
• analysis for the presence of antibodies to pathogens of specific infections;
• study of the medical history;
• general and biochemical blood tests;
• skin and nail scrapings - to identify fungi;
• analysis of scraping culture in a favorable environment;
• examination of affected areas using a Wood's lamp;
• scraping from eyelashes - to identify demodex mites.

A mycologist individually selects and prescribes those diagnostic procedures and test control that mycology operates with.