in most cases your doctor can diagnose athlete's foot (tinea pedis) by looking at your foot. he or she will also ask about your symptoms and any previous fungal infections you have had. if your symptoms look unusual or if a previous infection has not responded well to treatment your doctor may collect a skin or nail sample by lightly scratching the skin with a blade or the edge of a microscope slide or by trimming a nail. he or she will examine the skin and nail samples using laboratory tests including: koh (potassium hydroxide) preparation to confirm the presence of fungi. fungal culture to identify the type of fungus present. in rare cases a skin biopsy will be done by removing a small piece of skin that will be looked at under a microscope. webmd medical reference from healthwise this information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information. © 1995-2011 healthwise incorporated. healthwise healthwise for every health decision and the healthwise logo are trademarks of healthwise incorporated.
what exams and tests help doctors to evaluate or test people for athletes foot?