eng Oriental Scientific Publishing Company Biomedical and Pharmacology Journal 0974-6242 2025-03-31 18 1 791 798 10.13005/bpj/3129 63820 article Bindu Dhanapal 1 Mymoonah Risha2 1 Vyshnavee Subramaniyan 2 Ezhilnilavan Murugesan 2 Department of Microbiology, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chrompet, Chennai, BIHER, Tamilnadu, India Government Medical College, Tiruchirapalli, Tamilnadu, India Introduction: Mucormycosis is a rare but deadly fungal infection that affects immunocompromised patients, particularly those with uncontrolled diabetes, excessive corticosteroid use, and COVID-19. Aim and objective: This study aimed to evaluate the sensitivity of modified potassium hydroxide-lactophenol cotton blue (KOH-LPCB) staining for the identification of fungal species using modified KOH-LPCB staining. Materials and methods: One hundred fifty-three tissue samples from clinically suspected mucormycosis cases were analyzed using KOH and KOH-LCPB mounts. Results: Rhizopus spp. was the most common fungal isolate, accounting for 48 of the 83 positive cases (57.8%). The modified KOH-LCB method demonstrated a sensitivity of 92% for detecting fungal elements, making it a valuable tool for early diagnosis in resource-limited settings. Conclusion: This study underscores the significant association between mucormycosis and COVID-19, particularly in patients with uncontrolled diabetes and recent corticosteroid use. In addition, two rare species, Cokeromyces recurvatus and Syncephalastrum racemosum, were isolated. The presence of these rare species emphasizes the need for comprehensive fungal diagnostics to avoid misdiagnoses. https://biomedpharmajournal.org/vol18no1/modified-potassium-hydroxide-method-for-early-diagnosis-of-mucormycosis/ Diabetes mellitus Covid-19 KOH-Calcofluour KOH-LPCB Mucormycosis