The “hair root invasion test”, a semi-quantitative method for experimental evaluation of antimycotics in guinea-pigs

The hair root invasion test is a new method for preclinical evaluation of the antimycotic efficacy of chemical compounds in vivo based on their antifungal activity against dermatophytes located at hair roots in the depth of the hair follicles of guinea-pigs. The test design allows for semi-quantitative assessment of the invasion density of the hair follicles in mycotic foci of treated and untreated animals. Conditions that must be met in order to yield satisfactory results are discussed and test results from standard antimycotics are presented.