A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY ON DIAGNOSTIC CONCORDANCE BETWEEN TISSUE CULTURE, ANDHISTOPATHOLOGY TESTING FOR SKIN AND SOFT TISSUE INFECTIONS

Abstract

Background: Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) include a wide range of diseases, account for a major proportion of infections that need hospitalization, and are linked with significant morbidity. Tissue culture and histopathology are the standard diagnostic modalities for skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). The current study was conducted to examine the relationship between histopathology tests and tissue culture results for suspected SSTIs.
Materials And Methods: This retrospective study was done on 60 cases of suspected SSTI obtained from inpatient consultation records. The rate of concordance between tissue culture results and histopathology testing was determined.
Results: Overall concordance between histopathology testing and tissue culture results was high (77.5%).For patients classified by histology and tissue culture as having no signs of infection, fungal infection, or mycobacterial infection, concordance was high. Concordance was lower for suspected SSTIs with bacterial infection by histopathology and tissue culture. Age, sex, usage of antibiotics, immunologic state, and biopsy size did not significanlty impact concordance rates.
Conclusion: This study found high concordance between histopathology and tissue culture for suspected SSTIs with no clinical indication of infection, including fungal and mycobacterial SSTIs.