A Clinical and Mycological Study of Dermatophytoses in Children

Hyun, Dong Nyeok; Chung, Hyun; Park, Joon Soo; Jun, Jae Bok

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Dermatophytoses in children are commonly seen but relatively infrequent than adults. Dermatophytoses in children can be different clinically and mycologically from those in adults in that children experience rapid physical changes and they have different skin features and environments from those of adults.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this research is to understand the clinical and mycological characteristics of dermatophytoses in children.
METHODS
This clinical and mycological investigation was made with 15,684 patients under age 18 who were diagnosed with dermatophytoses from April, 1976 to March, 2005.
RESULTS
The results can be summarized as follows: 1. The incidence of dermatophytoses in children to total number of pediatric outpatients was 6.4%. Male patients were 9,475 and female patients were 6,209 leaving male to female ratio of 1.5:1. Dermatophytoses showed high incidence in the age group between 13 and 18 (7,009). 2. Tinea pedis was 4,020 cases and the most common, followed by tinea cruris, tinea capitis, tinea corporis, tinea unguium, tinea faciale. Tinea capitis largely increased in 1980s and is falling off through 1990s, tinea pedis tends to increase since 1990s. The onsets in summer were the most eminent. 3. Among 15,684 cases, 9,395 cases (59.9%) yielded isolated strains on fungal culture. Trichophyton (T.) rubrum was 5,049 strains (53.7%) and the most common among the total isolated 9,395 strains followed by Microsporum (M.) canis, and T. mentagrophytes. M. canis was the most commonly isolated organism in tinea capitis and tinea manus but in other cases T. rubrum was.
CONCLUSIONS
Dermatophytoses in children are different clinically and mycologically from those in adults and vary with the change of the times.