The onychomycosis incidence was determined in 250 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients who were registered at the Internal Medicine Service from a Mexico city General Hospital throughout a year (January-December 2006). Out of the total of studied T2DM patients, 93 (37.2%) showed ungual dystrophy and from these, in 75.3% a fungal etiology was corroborated. Out of 70 patients, 34 were men and 36 women, with an average of 63.5 years. Correlation between T2DM evolution time and onychomycosis was significant (P < 0.01). Distal-lateral subungual and total dystrophic onychomycosis were the most frequent clinical types (55.1% and 33.7%, respectively). Fifty-eight fungal isolates were obtained; 48.6% corresponded to dermatophytes, Trichophyton rubrum being the first species (37.1%). All these strains corresponded to two morphological varieties: "yellow" and typical downy. From the yeast-like isolates, 12 corresponded to Candida spp., firstly C. albicans and C. parapsilosis; three to Cryptococcus spp. (C. albidus, C. uniguttulatus and C. laurentii); two Trichosporon asahii; and only one to Pichia ohmeri. Six non-dermatophytic molds were isolated: two Chrysosporium keratinophylus, two Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, one Aspergillus fumigatus, and one Acremonium sp. The fungal mixture corresponded to T. mentagrophytes with C. guilliermondii; T. mentagrophytes with C. glabrata; T. rubrum with C. glabrata; T. rubrum with P. ohmeri.

In this study, the coats of 20 cats with no dermatophytosis lesions were sampled for colonization by Microsporum canis, which was isolated in 45% of cases. All cats were treated with oral terbinafine for 3 weeks. The drug was administered orally at a daily dosage 8.25 mg kg-1. Mycologic status was assessed at the end of the treatment; and after follow-up at 2 days, and 4 and 9 weeks. The final evaluation revealed a complete mycologic cure of all cats by obtaining negative cultures, thereby demonstrating that terbinafine is an effective method of eradication of dermatophyte colonization.

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Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is an endemic systemic infection in several countries of Latin America. The few registered cases in Mexico most likely do not reflect the real frequency. Disseminate the epidemiological and clinical data of unreported cases of PCM in Mexico from 1972 until 2012 is the aim of this work. Epidemiological and clinical information of non-published cases of PCM was requested from the principal mycological diagnosis centres in Mexico. A total of 93 cases were received. The infection was found predominantly in men (95.7%), peasants (88.5%) and individual between 31 and 60 years of age. Most of the cases were found in tropical areas of the Gulf of Mexico (54.84%) and the Pacific littoral (20.3%). The main sites of dissemination were the oral mucosa (39.38%) and skin (34.05%). The most effective treatments were itraconazole alone and the combination of itraconazole with sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. PCM is a subdiagnosed pathology in Mexico. Therefore, adequate training is necessary to determine the current status of this mycosis.

We analysed 2350 biological samples from patients with a clinical diagnosis of superficial mycoses who attended outpatient services over a 7-year period. Samples of scales were processed by direct microscopic examination with 15% KOH and cultured on Sabouraud glucose agar with chloramphenicol and cycloheximide. Laboratory examination confirmed dermatophytosis in 860 (36.6%) cases, of which 80.9% were caused by Trichophyton rubrum. The most frequently observed dermatophytoses were tinea unguium (60%) and tinea pedis (25.6%). In agreement with previous observations, we demonstrate that T. rubrum continues to increase in Mexico.

As actinomycetoma is more frequent in males than in females, the possibility that hormones might modify the Nocardia brasiliensis growth and the course of experimental actinomycetoma was explored. Five N. brasiliensis strains were grown on Sabouraud agar containing estradiol, progesterone or testosterone, in 3 different concentrations. Colony diameters were measured weekly for 7 weeks. N. brasiliensis strains were also grown in Sabouraud broth containing hormones. Glucose concentration was measured weekly for 6 weeks. Finally, experimental actinomycetoma was produced in male and female hormone-treated mice. Invasion rate, plantar pad diameter and positive retrocultures were assessed. In vitro experiments showed that progesterone and testosterone inhibit N. brasiliensis growth, manifested by lower colony diameters and greater glucose concentrations. In vivo experiments demonstrated that estradiol limits actinomycetoma development. Progesterone and testosterone induced greater diameters of inoculated plantar pads and greater invasion rates with greater positive culture numbers than estradiol. Results partially explain the resistance of females to actinomycetoma.