CFPM Webinar Series - Webinar #9 - Diagnosis of Onychomycosis

Diagnosis of Onychomycosis: From Conventional Techniques and Dermoscopy and PCR to Artificial Intelligence

Onychomycosis is a common fungal nail infection.  Like most infections, accurate diagnosis is critical to deciding on the optimal course of treatment. As differential diagnosis may be difficult when based on appearance +/- clinical history alone, the use of a confirmatory laboratory test may be required to make an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. Conventional diagnostic testing primarily consists of the potassium hydroxide test with in vitro culture to detect fungal species within nails. The success rate of this test, however, is limited by a high rate of false negative results.  With the development of novel diagnostic tests, which use dermoscopy, reflectance confocal microscopy, artificial intelligence and PCR based modalities, the success rate of onychomycosis detection has increased. In this presentation Dr. Van-Ham will evaluate the current landscape of diagnostic techniques for onychomycosis, the role of novel technologies in clinical practice, and will share some insights from her current ongoing research and new developments. 

Speaker:

Dr. Irit Van-Ham

The educational presentation is delivered by Dr. Irit Van-Ham, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of ToeFX Inc.  Irit leads the company's scientific research and development initiatives, including a new R&D partnership with McMaster University. Irit holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Tel Aviv University and completed postdoctoral work at the University of Ottawa in Canada. She has held senior positions at TEVA Pharmaceuticals and at the Ontario Ministry of Health and is an expert in toxicology and formulation development.