Comparative evaluation of Candi Select test and conventional methods for identification of Candida albicans in routine clinical isolates

Abstract

The Candi Select test (Sanofi Diagnostics, Pasteur, Marnes-La-Coquette, France) is a new yeast-selective medium for the identification of Candida albicans in the clinical laboratory. The performance of this test was compared with the conventional methods of chlamydospore formation, germ tube formation and carbohydrate fermentation. Four hundred and twenty clinical yeast isolates from 412 fresh clinical specimens, including 283 C. albicans, 59 C. tropicalis, 39 Trichosporon spp., 19 C. glabrata, 11 Cryptococcus neoformans and 9 other yeasts, were evaluated. Colonies of C. albicans produced a blue-green colour on the Candi Select media which could be distinguished from the other yeasts with the naked eye within 24-48 h. The sensitivity and specificity of the Candi Select test for the identification of C. albicans were 99.65% and 97.08%, respectively. The blue-green colonies of C. albicans were easy to identify and recognize in mixed cultures and did not need detailed microscopic examination.