A Clinical and Mycological Study of Superficial Fungal Diseases (VIII)

Han, Eun Sil; Seo, Seong Jun; Kim, Myeung Nam; Hong, Chang Kwun; Ro, Byung In

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Superficial fungal infections are common diseases in the dermatologic conditions. The prevalence of superficial fungal diseases is not static but change under the influence of various factors such as climate, migration of people, and development in prophylaxis and therapy.
OBJECTIVE
The authors performed this study to investigate the present status of superficial dermatophytoses and some changes on the frequency of the diseases, sex distributions and varieties of the causative organisms.
METHODS
The clinical and mycological study of superficial fungal diseases on 2,115 patients who had visited Department of Dermatology, University Hospital and Yongsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Chung Ang University between July 1992 and June 1994 were performed.
RESULTS
1) The incidence of superficial fungal diseases to total number of outpatients(8,048) was 26.3%(2,115 cases). 2) Superficial fungal diseases showed high incidence in fourth (22.3%), third(22.2%), and fifth decade(17.9%). 3) The ratio of male to female was 2.3:1(1,478:637). Especially in patients with tinea(T.) cruris, which was the most prominent disease showing male predominance, the sex ratio was 15.9:1. 4) The monthly prevalences of superficial fungal diseases were high in July(16.5%), June(13.1%), and August(12.3%), respectively 5) The incidence of each type of superficial fungal disease was the highest in T. pedis(21.4%), followed by T. cruris(17.6%), candidiasis(17.6%), T. corporis(13.5%), T. unguium(13.3%), T. versicolor(9.6%), T. manus(5.1%), and T. capitis(1.9%). 6) There were coexisting fungal infections in 426 patients(20.1%), and the case of T. pedis with T. unguium was the most common. 7) The positive rate of KOH scraping was 57.4% and the positive rate of culture on ordinary Sabouraud's dextrose agar media was 48.6%. 8) The most common cultured organism was Trichophyton(T.) rubrum(39.1%), followed by Candida species(34.6%), T. mentagrophytes(23.0%), Microsporum canis(2.0%), Epidermophyton floccosum(1.2%), and T. ferrugineum(0.2%).
CONCLUSION
These results are not significantly different from those of previous studies. But the incidence of the superficial fungal diseases(26.3%) was higher than previous studies and showed a high incidence in young male patients and in warm season. The positive rate of KOH scraping(7.4%) was lower than previous studies. The most common causative organism was T. rubrum.