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Introduction
The image shows a direct wet mount prepared from a white vaginal discharge showing pseudohyphae, budding yeast, and human epithelial cells.  Examination of a fresh vaginal discharge provides the simplest and most rapid diagnostic test in aiding presumptive identification of Candida species.

Methods
The vaginal discharge was collected from a 37-year-old female with dysuria and vulvovaginal pruritus.  The sample was diluted with equal parts of physiologic sterile saline and applied directly to the surface of a slide. A coverslip was placed over the surface of the sample, and excess liquid was blotted from around the edges.

Figure 1: Candida species showing pseudohyphae (Enlarged view)

Figure 2: Candida species showing pseudohyphae (Labeled view)

Contact Information

ASM Education, education@asmusa.org