Clinical Observation of 103 Cases of Sporotrichosis in Kwangju City and Chonnam Province during a Thirty-Year-Period (1967-1996)

Chun, Inn Ki; Kim, Hun Hee; Kim, Seong Jin; Lee, Seung Chul; Won, Young Ho

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Sporotrichosis is most common deep cutaneous fungal disease in Korea. It is markedly variable in incidence, distribution, and clinical pattern. The epidemiology have been well known to change over years, and to be influenced by environmental condition and geographic location. Sporotrichosis in Kwangiu and Chonnam area is more prevalent compared to other areas in Korea.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to describe the prevalence, epidemiological and clinical features, regional distribution and the change of the incidence according to the climate in different regions. METHOD: The observation of 103 sporotrichosis patients confirmed by clinical, histopathological and mycological studies had been made in the Department of Dermatology at Chonnam National University Hospital for thirty years from 1967 to 1996.
RESULTS
AND CONCLUSION: The sporotrichosis patient was 0.09% of 108,680 outpatients, prevalent at the age of tai.ties and forties (20%), and 3.2: 1 in the ratio between male and female. The 58% of the total cases visited us within 3 months after the beginning of skin lesion. Almost all initial lesions appeared on the exposed areas, especially upper extremities (68%). The 74% of the total cases was lymphocutaneous type, and the rest was fixed cutaneous type. Most popular occupation of patients was farmer (60%). The 69% of patients visited in spring and winter, especially in February (17%). The incidence of sporotrichosis per average 100,000 population in districts of Kwangju and Chonnam area revealed a difference with the amount of rainfall in winter; average 1.8 person in an area above 125mm, 0.8 person in an area between 100 mm and 125 mm, and 0.2 person in an area below 100 mm. These results suggest that the incidence and clinical features of sporotrichosis are influenced by occupations, leisure and occupational activities, living conditions, and the climate.