Pseudohyphae and budding cells of a yeast-like fungus of the genus Candida in the nail. Hands’ nail plate, KOH 20%, 24-hour exposure, x400 magnification + zoom. The first photo shows a blastospore with a germ tube emerging from it—a distinctive feature of C. albicans. Fungi of the genus Candida typically affect fingernails (more often on one hand), causing paronychia and proximal onychomycosis (according to Zaias’ classification). Fungi of the genus Candida account for 2-3% of all onychomycosis cases.
✅ Material kindly provided by med. lab. technician Dmitry Emelyanov.
