The objective of this prospective study was to assess the prevalence of Exophiala dermatitidis in respiratory secretions of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and to identify risk factors for its presence. The results of all cultures performed over a 2-year period in non lung-transplant patients in our CF clinic were included in the study. Samples consisted of sputum (whenever possible) or deep pharyngeal aspirate after a session of physiotherapy. Specimens were inoculated onto Sabouraud gentamicin-chloramphenicol agar (SGCA) medium (Becton-Dickinson) and incubated at 35 degrees C for 2 days and then at ambient temperature (15-25 degrees C) for 3 weeks. The whole study group included 154 patients (mean age +/- SD: 18.5 y +/- 11.69). E. dermatitidis was isolated from 58 specimens (2.8%) of nine patients (5.8%) out of total of 2065 cultures prepared during the study period. All E. dermatitidis culture-positive patients were pancreatic insufficient and >/=12 y of age. Almost all (8/9) were homozygous for the F508 del mutation. Aspergillus fumigatus colonization and genotype seemed to be predisposing factors. No other significant characteristic was identified in this group, either in terms of predominant bacterial pathogen or treatment. A distinct comparative study performed over 3 months in our laboratory revealed that the use of SGCA yielded identical isolation rates of E. dermatitidis as erythritol-chloramphenicol agar (ECA)