Evaluation of new medium for identification of dermatophytes and primary dimorphic pathogens.

Only 25 of 77 dermatophytic isolates caused dermatophyte identification medium (DIM) to turn purple after incubation at the recommended temperature (37 degrees C); the accuracy of the results was improved at 30 degrees C (71 of 77 isolates yielded positive results). Many dimorphic pathogenic fungi also tested positive at both incubation temperatures. Thus, DIM has limited usefulness for presumptive identification of dermatophytes.