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The Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia is characterized by a high perennial relative humidity and atmospheric pressure. One hundred and forty-eight cases clinically suspected of being otomycotic were examined by culture over a period of 13 months; 120 gave positive results and yielded 131 fungal isolates, of which 110 were single infections and 10 mixed infections of two or more fungi. A. niger was the most common (51.15%), then A. flavus (18.32%) Penicillium notatum (5.34%), C. albicans and A. terreus (each 4.58%) A. candidus (3.82%), Mucor spo (2.29%), Alternaria spo and A. clavatus (each 1.53%) and A. versicolor (0.76%). The patients were of 13 different nationalities, mostly labourers and people of low socio-economic standard. Males were affected more than females and ages ranged from 2 to 58 years. Thus racial factors, sex and age have no bearing on otomycosis. Only 8 of the 120 positive cases were affected bilaterally. The role of relative humidity and high atmospheric pressure was briefly discussed.

Summary. A total of 4 294 clinically suspected cases of dermatomycoses belonging to 26 different nationalities were examined between April 1984 and April 1988. Fungi were demonstrated in routine potassium hydroxide/dimethyl sulfoxide mount in 3 814 cases (88.8%) and the etiology was determined by culture in 2 458 cases (57.2%). Tinea ver‐sicolor was the predominant fungal infection (30.9% of all infections). Onychomycosis and pa‐ronychia ranked second in prevalence (16.8%). Candidal onychomycosis was the most common type of infection. Scalp ringworm among children ranked third (15.3%), Microsporum canis was the main etiologic agent. Tinea pedis and tinea man‐uum ranked fourth in prevalence (13.2%). Tinea corporis represented 10.7% of infections and M. canis was the main agent. Tinea cruris accounted for 8.7% of infections and Epidermophyton floc‐cosum was the most common agent. Cutaneous can‐didosis constituted 4.3% of infections. White piedra was seen in 6 cases (0.16%). Yeasts were proved not to be unimportant as a cause of disease of skin and nail in our study. Zusammenfassung. Zwischen April 1984 und April 1988 wurden im Dammam‐Zentralhospital in der saudi‐arabischen Ostprovinz insgesamt 4 294 Dermatomykose‐Verdachtsfalle untersucht, die 26 unterschiedlichen Nationalitäten angehörten. In 3 814 Fällen (88,8%) wurden Pilze mikroskopisch in KOH‐DMSO‐Präparaten nachgewiesen und die Pilzätiologie kulturell in 2 458 Fällen (57,2%) be‐legt. Tinea versicolor stellt die vorherrschende Pilz‐infektion dar (30,9 % aller Infektionen). An zweiter Stelle standen Onychomykose und Paronychie (16,8%). Die Candida‐bedingte Onychomykose war der häufigste Infektionstyp. An dritter Stelle lag Tinea capitis bei Kindern (15,3 %); hier war Microsporum canis der Haupterreger. Tinea pedis und Tinea manuum lagen an vierter Stelle (13,2 %). Bei Tinea corporis (10,7 %) war M. canis der Haupterreger. Tinea cruris (8,7 %) wurde über‐wiegend durch Epidermophyton floccosum verur‐sacht. Die kutane Candidose machte 4,3 % der Infektionen aus. Weiße Piedra wurde sechsmal (0,16%) gesehen. Ferner erwiesen sich in unserer Studie Hefen zu einem nicht unbedeutenden Anteil als Erreger von Haut‐ und Nagelkrankheiten.

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