Certain fluorescent dyes such as Blankophor have a high affinity for the b -glycosidically linked polysaccharides such as glucan and chitin, which are main the constituents of the fungal cell wall. Therefore, these fluorescent dyes can be used for screening clinical samples for the presence of fungal elements. This procedure can be performed using the following specimens: Nail, Skin, Bronchial alveolar lavage fluid, Sputum and Biopsies.

Protocol: Detection of Fungi by Fluorescence Microscopy Using Fluorescent Brighteners