Scanning electron microscopy and fungal culture of hoof horn from horses suffering from onychomycosis

Horn samples were taken from the hooves of eight horses with clinical signs of equine onychomycosis in at least one hoof capsule. None of the horses had a documented mycological history. The predominant alterations of the horn capsules were sand cracks, white line disease, brittleness (especially around the nail holes), parakeratosis and bruising. The horn samples were stored in sterile tubes for transportation and transferred onto Sabouraud Dextrose Agar and dermatophyte test agar for mycological examination within 6 h. Fungal cultures were incubated for 30 days at room temperature. Fungal identification was based on colonial morphology and microscopic examination of conidia. Horn samples were also stored at −80°C until used for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The fungal culture revealed that the hoof horn from all eight horses was infected with keratinophilic fungi. The keratinopathogenic fungi Trichophyton spp and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis were also detected in six horses. SEM revealed severe alterations of the horn structure in horn samples infected with keratinopathogenic fungi compared to horn samples from a sound hoof. The most evident changes were deterioration of the tubular structure of the horn wall, disruption of the horny layers, superficial lysis of cornified cells and the presence of fungal elements. Samples without dermatophyte or Scopulariopsis infection, in contrast, were similar to healthy hoof horn.