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Dermatophytes are a group of parasitic fungi that live at the expense of the keratin in the skin, nails and hair. They are generally confined to the stratum corneum of the epidermis and skin appendages, particularly in the tropics, where heat and humidity provide the ideal conditions for the growth of fungi that cause cutaneous infections. The dermatophytes that usually cause only superficial infections of the skin are grouped into three genera: Trichophyton, Microsporum, and Epidermophyton. They can be classified into three groups according to their normal habitats: anthropophilic species, zoophilic species and geophilic species. Dermatophyte infections are subclassified in Latin names according to the sites of skin involved, e.g. Tinea faciei, Tinea manuum, Tinea corporis, Tinea cruris, Tinea pedis, Tinea capitis, Tinea unguium. Trichophyton rubrum is the most common cause worldwide for superficial dermatophytosis. By their metabolic activity they produce inflammatory responses in the form of erythema, scaling, postulation and micro-abscess formation giving rise to itching and discomfort. The high prevalence rate of superficial dermatophytic infection has shown that 20-25% of the world’s population. The diagnosis was confirmed on the basis of clinical presentation, KOH examination of skin and would light examination. The article also discusses the main treatments for superficial dermatophytosis, with a practical approach to the most commonly used topical and systemic drugs, referring also to their dosage and duration of use in different types of the dermatophytic infection. Keywords: Dermatophytosis; Trichophyton rubrum; Tinea; KOH examination.

Introduction Palmoplantar dermatoses are skin diseases affecting specifically palms and soles is a common clinical entity encountered by dermatologists. This may cause discomfort and embarrassment to the patients because its location interferes significantly with normal day-to-day activities. Palmoplantar dermatosis affects a heterogeneous population, ranging from bare-handed workers in the slaughterhouse to medical personnel wearing gloves in the operating room. The present study endeavors to classify palmoplantar dermatoses based on their morphology and the clinical distribution pattern. Materials and methods The present study is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted for six months at Osmania General Hospital, India. A total number of 80 patients having palmoplantar dermatoses who met the study inclusion criteria were included. After taking proper informed consent, data were collected from patients on a fixed proforma sheet. Results The study comprised 44 (55%) male and 36 (45%) female patients. The mean duration of palmoplantar dermatoses was 2.92 years. Itching and painful fissures are the most common symptoms patients complained of and psoriasis is the most common clinical type seen in 32 (40%) patients followed by eczemas in 30 (37.5%) patients and fungal infections in 10 (12.5%) patients. Conclusion The term palmoplantar dermatoses includes a heterogeneous group of skin disorders but no exact classification is present and classes differ based on the diseases to be kept in a group. Physicians should be well aware of the clinical features of these dermatoses and diagnosis is very important for early intervention and correct management, thereby helping improve patients' quality of life.

Ringworm infection is a common but frequently misdiagnosed skin disease. An 81-year-old woman presented with a complaint of mild itch of the third and fourth fingers of her right hand and the toes of both feet. A crusted rash was seen on the right hand and both feet. The results of potassium hydroxide testing were positive for filamentous fungi. The diagnosis of two feet-one hand syndrome was made. The rash was treated successfully by topical ketoconazole. Recognition of this typical distribution of the rash may help make a prompt diagnosis of ringworm infection.

Fish tank granuloma is a rare skin infection caused by Mycobacterium marinum. It occurs after exposure of skin abrasions to contaminated water or infected fish. The majority of M. marinum infections today are fish tank-related. The most common presentation is a solitary nodule, often with sporotrichoid spread. Other presentations do not occur often. The diagnosis is often delayed because of lack of suspicion, nonspecific histopathological findings, and frequently unsuccessful cultivation. Here we present the case of a 37-year-old male with M. marinum skin infection, presenting as erythematous scaling plaques. Because the initial results of laboratory and histopathological examinations were negative for a fungal infection or nontuberculous mycobacteria, the patient was treated empirically with several systemic antibiotics and antifungals without any success. Finally, the diagnosis of fish tank granuloma was confirmed 3 months after the initial presentation of the patient. After the introduction of treatment with rifampicin and clarithromycin, complete clinical remission was observed after 6 months of therapy.

Introduction: Dermatophytes are a group of morphologically related keratinophilic fungi that invade keratinized tissue (skin, hair, and nails) of humans and warm-blooded animals to produce clinical lesions (dermatophytosis). Clinical lesions are traditionally divided according to the site infected, namely, scalp (tinea capitis), feet (tinea pedis, commonly called “athletes’ foot”), groin, inner thighs, or buttocks (tinea cruris, commonly called “jock itch”), beard (tinea barbae), hands (tinea manuum, toe nails or finger nails (tinea unguium, also called onychomycosis), face, non-bearded area (tinea faciei) and other parts of the body, such as arms, abdomen, or legs (tinea corporis). Dermatophytosis is common world-wide and is caused by species of three genera of dermatophytes, namely Microsporum, Trichophyton, and Epidermophyton. This study presents an update of ecology of different species of dermatophytes and epidemiology of infections caused by them in the Caribbean. Possibility of herbal therapy of these infections as an alternative treatment is also dealt with. Methods: A thorough search of literature was made using PubMed, MEDLINE, Biomed Lib, Med Facts, and different sets of key words, viz. dermatophytes, tineas in Caribbean, occurrence in animals, soil etc. Results: It was revealed that incidence of dermatophytic infections and their epidemiologic characteristics depend on social, geographic, and environmental factors and may change with passage of time. For instance, prior to year 2000, the major cause of tinea capitis in North America for 100 years was Microsporum canis followed by M. audouinii; Since 1950 Trichophyton tonsurans has advanced from Mexico and the Caribbean to be currently a major cause of tinea capitis in North America. The two dermatophytes Microsporum gypseum and M. fulvum, and several Chrysosporium species have been frequently isolated form soils in different countries in the Caribbean. Conclusions: There is almost complete lack of information on human infections due to dermatophytes in several Caribbean countries. The preponderant occurrence of M. fulvum in Anguilla soils with comparatively rare isolation of M. gypseum is a significant observation. The need for further epidemiological studies on dermatophyosis in the Caribbean countries cannot be overemphasized.

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Terbinafine (TRF) has been used in the treatment of fungal infections for more than 20 years. Recently, TRF-resistant Trichophyton interdigitale and T. rubrum strains have been isolated from human patients worldwide. However, an epidemiological study of TRF-resistant strains in Japanese patients has not been investigated. In the present study, antifungal susceptibility testing was performed on clinical isolates from Japanese patients to assess TRF-resistance patterns of T. interdigitale and T. rubrum strains. We also sequenced the squalene epoxidase (SQLE) encoding gene of TRF-resistant T. rubrum strains. Two hundred and ten T. interdigitale and T. rubrum clinical isolates were obtained from 210 human cases of tinea pedis, tinea corporis, tinea unguium, tinea cruris, tinea manuum, tinea faciei and tinea capitis in Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, Hyogo and Kumamoto, Japan, in 2020. Five T. rubrum isolates (N74, N79, N99, H30 and K2) grew on Sabouraud's dextrose agar (SDA) containing 1 mg/L of TRF. All five strains exhibited TRF minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ≥32 mg/L but remained susceptible to azoles. We determined SQLE sequences in these TRF-resistant T. rubrum strains and found that all strains harbored missense mutations (L393F) in the SQLE-encoding gene.

An unusual case of a 37-year-old woman with bullous tinea manuum caused by an infection with Trichophyton mentagrophytes is described. The patient presented with a pruritic erythematous vesicular rash on the right palm and interdigital web spaces between the first and second digits. The preliminary diagnosis was acute contact dermatitis, which was treated with oral and topical corticosteroids. The rash failed to respond to treatment, resulting in tinea incognito. At 2-week follow-up, a potassium hydroxide (KOH) preparation performed in clinic was positive for T mentagrophytes. The suspected source of infection was a domestic 4-toed, white-bellied African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris). There was remarkable improvement of the lesion after 2 weeks with appropriate topical and systemic antifungal agents. This case illustrates that popular exotic pets such as the hedgehog can increase the risk for zoophilic dermatophytic infection, which can present as bullous lesions with little or no scale and can be confused with acute contact dermatitis. It is important for the clinician to recognize this presentation and provide close follow-up for lesions not responding to treatment.

Background and Purpose: Dermatophytes as the causative agents of dermatophytosis (ringworm) are widely spread around the world. Accurate identification of dermatophytes in one area can be particularly important for epidemiological studies. Regarding this, the aim of the present study was to describe the species spectrum of dermatophytes, isolated from patients in Mashhad city, Iran, using the molecular-based method. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 79 dermatophyte isolates obtained from the human skin, hair, and nail specimens. Species identification was performed by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer regions using MvaI restriction enzyme. Results: The identified species included Trichophyton mentagrophytes/T. interdigitale species complex (n=37, 46.8%), Epidermophyton floccosum (n=12, 15.2%), T. rubrum (n=8, 10.1%), Microsporum canis (n=8, 10.1%), T. violaceum (n=5, 6.3%), T. tonsurans (n=4, 5.1%), Nannizzia gypsea (n=3, 3.8%), T. benhamiae (n=1, 1.3%), and T. verrucosum (n=1, 1.3%). The clinical forms of infection were tinea corporis (n=26, 32.8%), tinea cruris (n=22, 27.8%), tinea capitis (n=10, 12.6%), tinea unguium (n=7, 9%), tinea manuum (n=6, 8%), tinea pedis (n=5, 6.3%), and tinea faciei (n=3, 3.5%). Conclusion: As the findings indicated, T. mentagrophytes/T. interdigitale species complex had the highest prevalence, and T. benhamiae appeared to be a new emerging agent of dermatophytosis in Mashhad, northeastern Iran.

The current study is the identification and isolation dermatophyte species in clinical isolates by both Sabouraud’s Dextrose Agar (SDA) and on Dermatophyte Test Medium (DTM). Clinical specimens of hair, nails and skin scales were collected from patients with dermatophytosis and submitted to direct microscopic examination after immersion in 20% of potassium hydroxide solution. The clinical specimens were cultured on SDA containing chloramphenicol and cycloheximide, and on DTM. Tinea corporis showed the highest prevalent dermatophyte infection among patients (26.7%), followed by Tinea pedis (23.3%), whereas Tinea manuum exhibited the lowest fungal infection (6.7 %). Rural areas revealed the highest prevalence of dermatophyte infection (70.0 %) in comparison to 30.0% in urban areas. Based on the conventional laboratory methods, 30 clinical isolates of dermatophytes showed positive cultures which belong to three genera (Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton). Trichophyton mentagrophytes was the most common species (21.7%) isolated among 30 positive dermatophytes, followed by Epidermophyton flocosum (17.4%), then Trichophyton bullosum and Trichophyton tonsurans (13.0%).

Summary Objective Dermatophytosis is one of the most common mycotic infections, which considered as a public health problem in the major of countries. This study evaluated the molecular epidemiology of dermatophytosis in patients referred to Farshchian hospital in Hamadan city with PCR-RFLP method. Materials and methods Four hundred and five specimens from clinically suspected patients of dermatophytosis were collected and analyzed by direct microscopic and culture. The isolates were identified by PCR-RFLP method using the MvaI restriction enzyme. Results Of the 405 specimens, 88 specimens were positive in direct examination and culture. Among the patients, 64.8% were males and35.2% females. Tinea pedis (31.8%) was the most common type of dermatophytosis followed by tinea corporis (22.7%), tinea cruris (20.5%), tinea capitis (10.2%), tinea manuum (5.7%), tinea faciei (4.6%) and tinea unguium (4.6%). Trichophyton interdigitale (36.4%) was the most common isolate followed by Trichophyton rubrum (27.3%), Epidermophyton floccosum (17%), Trichophyton tonsurans (11.4%), Microsporum canis (4.5%), Microsporum gypseum (2.3%) and Trichophyton benhamiae (1.1%). Conclusion Our finding showed that the anthropophilic dermatophyte species causing dermatophytosis are increasing, and molecular methods are reliable assays for accurse identification of dermatophyte species in epidemiological studies.

The zoophylic dermatophytes, as Trichophyton erinacei, frequently cause very inflammatory tineas in the human host. This dermatophyte is carried by some pets, particularly by the terrestrial hedgehog. Herein, we present the case of a 22-year-old male student with an exudative erythematous scaly plaque on his right fifth finger for 1 month. He had a pet African hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris). KOH examination demonstrated hyphae compatible with dermatophytes. The culture revealed a white, radiated dusty colony. PCR sequencing of the region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 identified T. erinacei. The final diagnosis was inflammatory tinea manuum due to T. erinacei. Clinical and mycological cure was achieved after treatment with oral terbinafine 250 mg/day × 1 month.

Mycoses are common in HIV/AIDS patients, vary from superficial mycoses to deep mycoses. Although most of the superficial mycoses are mild, deep mycoses are fatal. Specific mucocutaneous manifestations of fungal infection may provide important diagnostic clues for HIV infection and evaluate individual immune status. In this chapter, authors present a variety of fungal infection cases in HIV/AIDS patients, such as candidiasis, cryptococcosis, talaromycosis, histoplasmosis, tinea corporis, tinea cruris, tinea manuum, tinea pedis, and onychomycosis. The purpose is to review the manifestations of mycoses in HIV/AIDS patients with typical or atypical mucocutaneous lesions and with misdiagnosed cases, providing references for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of relevant diseases.

Trichophyton erinacei is a member of the Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex, a zoonotic dermatophyte that is very rarely isolated as a human pathogen. It often causes a localized itchy rash at the size of contact, such as the extremities, and is typically reported in the context of hedgehog exposure.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Epidemiologically, T erinacei was first recognized in New Zealand then in Europe, Africa, and Australia. Case reports existed in East Asia since the early 2000s in Japan,7 Korea,1 and Taiwan.5 We report the first case, to our knowledge, of T erinacei arising in Southeast Asia in the context of hedgehog exposure.

We report here the results of the 2016 epidemiological survey of dermatomycosis in Japan. In total, 6,776 cases were analyzed as follows: dermatophytosis, 5,772 cases (85.2%); candidiasis, 757 cases (11.2%); Malassezia infection, 235 cases (3.5%); and other fungal infections, 11 cases (0.2%). In dermatophytosis, tinea pedis was the most frequent (3,314 cases: male, 1,705; female, 1,609), followed by tinea unguium (1,634 cases: male, 766; female, 868), tinea corporis (423 cases: male, 241; female, 182); tinea cruris (316 cases: male, 242; female, 74); tinea manuum (58 cases: male, 29; female, 29); tinea capitus, Celsus' kerion (26 cases: male, 19; female, 7); and tinea barbae (1 case: male, 1). The most frequent pathogen was Trichophyton rubrum. In candidiasis, candidal intertrigo was the most frequent (181 cases: male, 98; female, 83), followed by oral candidiasis (165 cases: male, 84; female, 81), genital candidiasis (119 cases: male, 45; female, 74), diaper candidiasis (113 cases: male, 49; female, 64), erosio interdigitalis (63 cases: male, 13; female, 50), onychomycosis (41 cases: male, 17; female, 24), onychia et paronychia (28 cases: male, 2; female, 26), and angular cheilitis (23 cases: male, 6; female, 17). Although the number of cases varied depending on the role of each cooperating medical institution in the area and on population composition, no significant differences in the frequencies of clinical types were observed.

Trichophyton is a species of fungus that commonly infects hedgehogs. As the popularity of keeping hedgehogs as pets increases, there have been reports of Trichophyton species infection in humans. Diagnosis and appropriate treatment of Trichophyton infection can be delayed owing to physicians’ low index of suspicion and unfamiliarity with the physical manifestations. We describe a case of a 27-year-old healthy man who developed tinea manuum after handling a pet hedgehog. Presenting symptoms included a worsening bullous eruption and severe pain. Both fungal and histopathological study confirmed Trichophyton infection. He was treated with oral and topical antifungal medication. All symptoms resolved 2 weeks after initiation of treatment.

Cutaneous infections with Trichophyton species of Arthroderma (A.) benhamiae are increasingly being detected in Germany. This dermatophyte typically causes tinea corporis, tinea faciei or tinea capitis with in part heavy clinical manifestation like kerion celsi. In special cases diagnosis and therapy can be difficult. In this article, four clinical cases are presented, whereby attention is given to special clinical situations and therapeutic aspects with regard to Trichophyton species of A. benhamiae: Case 1: Kerion celsi by in a 6-year-old boy; Case 2: Deep trichophytia at the mons pubis in a 32-year-old man working in a pet shop and his 27-year-old female partner; Case 3: Tinea manuum in a 7-year-old girl; Case 4: Tinea corporis in an 8‑year-old girl.

Background: Superficial mycosis is among the most frequent forms of human infection affecting more than 20-25% of world’s population. Current study aims at assessing the clinical profile of dermatophytic infection and to identify the fungal species responsible. Methods: A prospective study conducted on 100 patients with clinically suspected dermatophytosis presenting to Skin OPD in a tertiary hospital in north Karnataka. A detailed clinical history, general physical examination and systemic examination routine lab investigations were done. Sample collection for mycological examinations was done for direct microscopy in 10% KOH (40% KOH for nail) and fungal culture an SDA with 0.5% chloramphenicol and 0.5% cyclohexidine was done in every case.Results: A total of 100 patients were included in the study. Male:female ratio was approximately 3:2. Maximum numbers of cases were in the age groups of 16-30 years (46 cases). 46% patients had multiple site involvement followed by tinea corporis in 20 (20%), tinea cruris in 18 (18%), tinea unguium (8%), tinea manuum (3%), tinea pedis (3%), tinea barbae (1%), and tinea faciei (1%). Potassium hydroxide examination was positive for fungal elements in 88(88%) patients and 35(35%). The most common species identified were. Trichophyton rubrum in 60% samples, followed by Trichophyton mentagrophytes in 20%.Conclusions: Present clinical and mycological study showed tinea corporis as the most common clinical pattern followed by tinea cruris and T. rubrum as the most common causative agent.

Background No reliable data are available in the province of Buenos Aires regarding the frequency of dermatophytoses and other fungal diseases. The distribution of the clinical forms and the species involved are also unknown. Aims To present the data collected by the laboratories participating in the Mycology Network of the province of Buenos Aires (MNPBA) from a retrospective epidemiological survey on dermatophytoses. Methods A descriptive and exploratory analysis was performed on the cases of dermatophytoses gathered between 2002 and 2007 by the Mycology Network of the province of Buenos Aires. Results Of the 3966 dermatophytosis cases reported by 41 laboratories in 31 municipalities, more than a half occurred in three highly populated urban municipalities. The male:female ratio was 1:1.5. The most frequent clinical form was tinea unguium, diagnosed in 904 cases (51.83%), followed by tinea capitis (19.32%), tinea corporis (15.19%), tinea pedis (6.77%), tinea cruris (3.73%), and tinea manuum (2.18%). The species involved was identified in 1368 (33.49%) cases. Trichophyton rubrum was the most common species, with a frequency of 42.03%. An association was found between urban municipalities and T. rubrum or the Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex. Conclusions Results from the MNPBA survey provide valuable information that should enable further interventions to be designed in order to prevent and control the disease., UIQA -Unidade de Investigação Química Ambiental, info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Superficial fungal infections are common worldwide; however, the distribution of pathogenic species varies among geographical areas and changes over time. This study aimed to determine the epidemiologic profile of superficial fungal infections during 2004-2014 in Guangzhou, Southern China. Data regarding the superficial mycoses from outpatients and inpatients in our hospital were recorded and analyzed. From the 3367 patients that were enrolled in the study, 3385 samples were collected from skin, hair and nail lesions. Of the 697 positive cultures, dermatophytes were the most prevalent isolates (84.36 %), followed by yeasts (14.92 %) and non-dermatophyte molds (0.72 %). Trichophyton rubrum (56.24 %) was the most common dermatophyte isolated from cases of tinea unguium (83.92 %), tinea pedis (71.19 %), tinea cruris (91.66 %), tinea corporis (91.81 %) and tinea manuum (65.00 %). Trichophyton mentagrophytes (13.35 %) and Microsporum canis (10.19 %) were the predominant species associated with cases of tinea faciei (54.55 %) and tinea capitis (54.13 %), respectively. Yeasts and molds were identified primarily from other cases of superficial fungal infections. In conclusion, when compared to previous studies in the same area, the epidemiology of superficial mycoses in Guangdong did not significantly change from 2004 to 2014. The prevalence of causative agents and the spectrum of superficial fungal infections, particularly tinea caused by dermatophyte infection, are similar to reports from several specific regions in China and Europe, whereas increasing incidences of Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Microsporum canis occurred in Guangdong, China.

Dermatophytoses are among the most frequently diagnosed skin infections worldwide. However, the distribution of pathogenic species and the predominating anatomical sites of infection vary with geographical location and change over time. The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiological and aetiological factors of dermatophytoses in Crete, Greece over the last 5-year period (2011-2015) and their incidence in relation to the gender and the age of the patients. We compared our findings with those previously reported from the same area and from other parts of the world. A total of 2,910 clinical specimens (skin scrapings, nail clippings, and hair specimens) obtained from 2,751 patients with signs of dermatomycoses were examined using direct microscopy and culture. Overall, 294 specimens (10.1%) were proved mycologically positive for dermatophytes. The age of the patients ranged from 2 to 86 years (mean age, 37 years). Tinea corporis was the predominant clinical type of infection, followed by tinea unguium, tinea pedis, tinea capitis, tinea faciei, tinea cruris and tinea manuum. Among dermatophytes, eight species were isolated: Microsporum canis (35.8%), Trichophyton rubrum (35.1%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (23.3%), Epidermophyton floccosum (2.5%), Microsporum gypseum (1.8%), Trichophyton violaceum (0.7%), Trichophyton verrucosum (0.4%), and Trichophyton tonsurans (0.4%). In our area, the most common dermatophyte was M. canis followed by T. rubrum. Increased migration, mass tourism, and climate changes will contribute to further changes in the epidemiology of dermatophytoses in our area. Continuing studies are necessary for determining the new epidemiological trends and to implement the appropriate control measures.

Background and Purpose: It is important to follow annually the probable changes in distribution pattern of dermatophytosis and its etiological agents in different communities. In this study, we determined the prevalence of dermatophytosis and its causative agents in Damascus, Syria, between 2008 and 2016. Materials and Methods: A total of 4080 outpatients who visited the dermatological clinics in Damascus, were evaluated. The specimens were collected from clinically suspected tinea. The patients were referred to our laboratory for direct examination by 30 %KOH. Some of the specimens were cultured on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar for fungal identification. Results: Out of the 4080 cases, 1138 cases were positive in direct examination(%27.89) , including Tinea pedis (%46.98), followed by tinea capitis(%39.79) , tinea corporis (%25.38), toenail onychomycosi (%20.33), tinea manuum (%16.06), and fingernail onychomycosis .(%15.22) Tinea pedis and toenail onychomycosis were more common in summer %41.19) and %25.78 respectively .(Trichophytic rubrum was the most prevalent fungal pathogen, especially in toenail onychomycosis. Conclusion: Dermatophytosis is highly prevalent in Syria. This study provides valuable data for differential diagnosis of dermatophytosis

We report an observation of extensive and atypical dermatophytosis to Trichophyton rubrum coexisting with fingernails and tinea manuum candidiasis in a 13-year-old girl presenting inflammatory cutaneous lesions, involvement of scalp, as well as total dystrophic onychomycosis of feet associated with a perionyxis of hands. The results of the mycological examination of specimen showed fungal elements of septate hyphae and pilar parasitism. The fungal culture allowed the diagnosis of certainty of the dermatophytosis to T. rubrum. The therapeutic success of this infection was obtained thanks to the administration of antifungals by oral route.

We report a case of a 34-year-old Polish Caucasian male who was diagnosed with tinea manuum caused by Trichophyton rubrum var. raubitschekii. It would be the first described case of a dermatophytosis caused by this fungus in Poland and one of a few cases in Central Europe described so far. Admittedly, it would be the first case in Central Europe with no evidence pointing to African origin. The clinical condition improved after administering itraconazole (daily dose 100 mg orally) supplemented with a topical treatment, while the patient was totally cured after 2 months. The histopathological examination turned out to be highly useful in the diagnostic process. The genetic analysis of the urease gene pointed to a urease-positive T. rubrum rather than T. rubrum var. raubitschekii.

Fungal infections of the skin and nails are common global problems with attendant morbidity among affected individuals. Children are mostly affected due to predisposing factors such as overcrowding and low socioeconomic factors. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and the clinical patterns of superficial fungal infections among primary school children in Ile-Ife. A multistage sampling was conducted to select eight hundred pupils from ten primary schools in Ile-Ife. Data on epidemiological characteristics and clinical history was collected using a semistructured questionnaire and skin scrapings were done. The prevalence of superficial fungal infections among the 800 respondents was 35.0%. Male pupils constituted 51.0% of respondents while the females were 49.0%. The mean age for all the respondents was 9.42 ± 2.00. Tinea capitis was the commonest infection with a prevalence of 26.9% and tinea unguium, tinea corporis, and tinea faciei had a prevalence of 0.8%, 0.6%, and 0.5%, respectively. Tinea manuum had the least prevalence of 0.1%. Pityriasis versicolor had a prevalence of 4.4%.Microsporum audouiniiwas the leading organism isolated. The study shows that the prevalence of superficial fungal infection (SFI) among primary school children in Ile-Ife is high with tinea capitis as the commonest SFI.

Tinea manuum is a common superficial fungal infection which is usually coexistent with tinea pedis; there are few studies available on the epidemiology of tinea manuum at present. This study aims to investigate the epidemiology of tinea manuum and its correlation with tinea pedis in south China. A total of 280 patients with tinea manuum were recruited. The epidemiological and clinical data were analyzed, and causative agents were isolated and identified mycologically. Totally, 84.3 % patients with tinea manuum had co-occurrence of tinea pedis, among which 88.4 % patients had experience of scratching their feet. There was a significant relationship between the touch habits and the hand infection (χ(2) = 65.451, P = 0.000). More than 90 % patients had quite the same species of isolates from multiple infected sites in one patient. Therefore, it seems that transmission of dermatophytes from the feet to hand by scratching might be a most common way. As for tinea manuum, whether "unilateral" or "bilateral" is just the result that pathogens spread from feet to hand(s), which is only a special clinical presentation of tinea.

Superficial fungal infections due to dermatophytes are common over the world and their frequency is constantly increasing. The aim of our study was to discuss fungal infections with frequency of occurrence, clinical stages and aetiology in patients admitted to dermatological ward and microbiological laboratory of the specialist hospital in Krakow. Investigations performed between 1995 and 2010 included the group of 5333 individuals. Dermatophyte infections, confirmed by culture, were revealed in 1007 subjects (18.9%), i.e. in 553 males and 454 females. The most frequent clinical forms of infections were tinea unguium and tinea pedis, caused mainly by Trichophyton rubrum and by Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Tinea corporis, tinea manuum, tinea capitis and tinea cruris constituted a small percentage of infections and the main aetiological factors of these dermatomycoses were also T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes. Between 1995 and 2000 there were stated small differences in the number of isolated strains of dermatophytes in comparison with the number of examined patients. Since 2006 there has been observed a decrease in number of patients in our hospital with suspected fungal infections, but per cent of positive cultures has remained unchanged in comparison with earlier period.

Infections caused by Trichophyton rubrum are very common in dermatological disease. It most often appears as superficial cutaneous mycosis, such as tinea manuum, tinea pedis, and tinea corporis. However, deep infection caused by T. rubrum was rarely reported. We describe a case of mixed type of deep infection caused by T. rubrum in a 45-year-old man with no significant immunodeficiency. This patient had a history of onychomycosis on the toenails without regular treatment for nearly 6 years. And, he had erythema, papule, and nodules on the submandibular area, neck, and chest for almost 1 year. After treated with intravenous infusion of cefotiam for 2 weeks, the lesion aggravated. The fungal direct microscopic examination of pyogenic fluid was positive, and the fungal cultures that produced reddish-brown and yellow pigment showed cottony, wooly, and white colony. After the DNA sequencing, it was identified as T. rubrum. We gave the patient oral terbinafine 250 mg per day and bifonazole cream for external use. Six months later, the patient’s skin lesion was disappeared, and healthy nail growth was seen in two-thirds of nail bed. The terbinafine is effective against deep infection caused by T. rubrum.