MODIFIED AGAR DILUTION SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTING METHOD FOR DETERMINING IN-VITRO ACTIVITIES OF ANTIFUNGAL AGENTS, INCLUDING AZOLE COMPOUNDS

In vitro activities of antifungal agents, including azole compounds, a gainst yeasts were easily determined by using RPMI-1640 agar medium an d by incubating the plates in the presence of 20% CO2. The end point o f inhibition was clear by this method, even in the case of azole compo unds, because of the almost complete inhibition of yeast growth at hig h concentrations which permitted weak growth of some Candida strains b y traditional methods. MICs obtained by the agar dilution method were similar to those obtained by the broth dilution method proposed by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards.