Fungal Culture Bone Marrow
What is this test?
Fungal culture bone marrow is performed on the sample of bone marrow to check for the fungal growth on it. This test helps to know whether the bone marrow is infected by fungus or not.
What are bone marrow fungal infections?
Fungal organisms are found anywhere in the environment. They exist as two forms yeasts and molds. The fungal organisms that exhibit a temperature-dependent switch between these two forms are known as dimorphic. These organisms can cause infections in individuals with poor immunity.
Candida species are the most common form of yeasts that cause fungal infections. These fungal organisms cause bloodstream infection with involvement of other organs. Cryptococcus species are another form of yeasts which can cause infections especially in individuals with poor immunity. Aspergillus genus members are a form of molds which can cause diseases and can trigger the allergic reactions in many individuals. Rhizopus, Mucor, Rhizomucor etc are other forms of molds that rarely cause infection. Histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, sporotrichosis, coccidioidomycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, and chromoblastomycosis are fungi that are dimorphic in nature. These fungal organisms exist as yeast form in infected individuals (host) and as a mold form in the environment.
Bone marrow is a soft, spongy tissue present inside some of the bones, such as thigh and hip bones. It contains immature cells called stem cells that produce blood cells. Blood cells are essential for the proper functioning of the body. Therefore every individual needs a healthy bone marrow for survival. Individuals with any diseases or conditions that affect the bone marrow, may have to undergo a bone marrow transplantation. These diseases or conditions include blood cancers such as leukemia, or lymphoma, sickle cell anemia (a blood disorder due to a lack of healthy red blood cells), etc.
In bone marrow transplantation, unhealthy bone marrow is replaced with a healthy one. Individuals who have received a bone marrow transplantation (bone marrow transplant recipients) are at high risk of developing an infection. Infections caused by Candida species are common in bone marrow transplant. It occurs mainly in individuals with poor immunity.
Why this test is performed?
This test is performed as part of routine health screening or to determine the presence of fungal growth on a sample of the bone marrow. Your doctor may ask to perform this test if you experience any signs and symptoms of bone marrow fungal infections such as fever, chills, weight loss, tiredness, etc. This test is also performed to monitor and evaluate the treatment effectiveness in individuals receiving treatment for bone marrow fungal infections. However, your doctor may ask to perform a susceptibility testing on the fungi isolated from this culture test to determine the antifungal treatment.
Test Preparation
Inform your doctor if you are on any medications, have any allergies or underlying medical conditions before your Fungal Culture Bone Marrow. Your doctor will give specific instructions depending on your condition on how to prepare for Fungal Culture Bone Marrow.
No specific preparation is required for this test. However, follow all the instructions given by your healthcare provider.
Understanding your test results
The test results may be vary depending on gender, age, health conditions, and other factors.
If the culture test is positive it may indicate the growth of fungal organisms on the sample of bone marrow. It may indicate the presence of bone marrow fungal infections. However, a few more additional tests may also be performed depending on the suspected cause and typical results, along with the physical symptoms to diagnose the exact infection.
If the culture test is negative it means no growth of fungal organisms is detected from the sample of bone marrow.
Based on the test results, your doctor may advise you appropriate medical treatments or further diagnostic tests.
| Gender | Age groups | Value |
| UNISEX | All age groups | The growth observed depends on the type of the fungal organism that grows |