A Clinical and Mycological Study of Dermatophytoses in Soldiers of Kangwon Province

Kang, Hyeong Keun; Lee, Weon Ju; Jun, Jae Bok; Koo, Dae Won

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Dermatophytoses are common disorders. Prevalence of dermatophytoses is not static but dynamic under the influence of various forces such as climate, migration of people and development of prophylaxis and therapy.
OBJECTIVE
This study was made in order to investigate the clinical and mycological status of dermatophytoses in soldiers of Kangwon province, such as incidence and monthly distribution of the diseases and a variety of the causative organisms.
METHODS
We performed the clinical and mycological study on 177 patients with dermatophytoses which was diagnosed by KOH examination and fungal culture at the outpatient department of dermatology of Chuncheon Armed Forces General Hospital from October, 1997 to September, 1998.
RESULTS
The incidence of dermatophytoses was 12.7% of a total of 1393 outpatients. Tinea pedis(47.5%) developed most frequently, followed by tinea cruris(29.9%), tinea manus (10.2%), tinea corporis(5.6%), tinea faciale(3.4%), tinea unguium(2.8%), and tinea capitis(0.6%) in decreasing order. The mean age of the patients was 21.9 years(range, 20-24). The incidence of dermatophytoses by rank was highest in private 1st class group(32.8%), followed by corporal group(28.8%), private group(24.3%), sergeant group(13.6%), and new private group(0.6%) in decreasing order. There were coexisting fungal infections in 27 patients(15.3%), and the case of tinea pedis with tinea unguium was the most common. The positive rate of KOH examination was 96.6% and the positive rate of fungal culture on Sabouraud dextrose agar media with cycloheximide was 66.1%. The most common organism cultured was Trichophyton(T.) rubrum(94.0%), followed by T. mentagrophtes(5.1%) and T. verrucosum(0.9%).
CONCLUSION
These results are higher incidence of dermatophytoses than those of previous studies. The incidence of tinea pedis was also higher than the previous studies. These are probably due to tight-fitting army boots in summer and spreading of infection among non-infected soldiers living together. The most common causative organism was T. rubrum.