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Eye Fungal Culture

Important Note

Fungal culture only.

For plate media, contact Microbiology at 2-6133 before collecting specimen.

Infectious

Specimen and Container/Tube

Specimen Type: Corneal scrapings, vitreous humor, conjunctiva

Preferred Specimen: Sterile, sealable, screw-cap container

Other Acceptable specimens: Directly innoculated media, rubber-capped syringe, anaerobe transport

Specimen Stability

Storage Temperature

Stability

Room temperature

(20 - 25°C)

24 hours

Refrigerated

(2 - 10°C)

not acceptable

Frozen

(-20°C)

not acceptable

Collection Instructions

Specimen Collection: 

 

Conjunctiva: Cleanse area around eye with mild detergent. Moisten swab with saline and roll over conjunctiva.

 

Corneal scrapings: Opthalmologist collected using a sterile spatula to scrape ulcers and/or lesions. Inoculate into plate media and glass slides.

 

Vitrious humor: Surgical aspiration

 

Specimen Transport: Immediate

Specimen Handling and Transport Instructions

UCMC Onsite Instructions: Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately. 

 

UCMC Offsite and UC MedLab Outreach Instructions: Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately. 

Rejection Criteria

  • Common specimen rejected situations include: incorrect specimen type, insufficient volume, incorrect collection container, missing or incomplete specimen identifiers, incorrect specimen transport, or specimens outside stability limits. 
  • Specimens in preservatives or additives will be rejected.

Reference Values

 

Test

Age

Sex

Reference Range

Culture

All

All

Negative

Turnaround Time

Turnaround times are relative to the time the specimen is received in the test laboratory. 

STAT Turnaround Time: not available

Routine Turnaround Time: up to 4 weeks

Testing Schedule: Monday - Sunday

Clinical Indications

  • Aid in the diagnosis of fungal infections.

CPT Codes

87102

LOINC Codes

30687102

Methodology

Conventional fungal culture method

Last Review Date

11/12/2025