Dermatophytes and other associated fungi in patients attending to some hospitals in Egypt

Abstract

Dermatophytes are keratinophilic fungi that infect keratinized tissues causing diseases known as dermatophytoses. Dermatophytes are classified in three genera, Epidermophyton, Microsporum, and Trichophyton. This investigation was performed to study the prevalence of dermatomycosis among 640 patients being evaluated at the dermatology clinics at Kasr elainy, El-Husein and Said Galal hospitals in Cairo and Giza between January 2005 and December 2006. The patients were checked for various diseases. Tinea capitis was the most common clinical disease followed by tinea pedis and tinea corporis. Tinea cruris and tinea unguium were the least in occurrence. Tinea versicolor also was detected. The most susceptible persons were children below 10 years followed by those aged 31–40 years. Unicellular yeast was the most common etiological agent and T. tonsuranswas the second most frequent causative agent followed by M. canis.

Microsporum canis and other dermatophytes isolated from humans, dogs and cats in mexico city

“…Kazemi, in Iran, studied 590 patients from 1996 till 2004, found zoophiticdermatophytes such as T. mentagrophytes and M. canis, with a frequency of 65.5% of cases with onychomycosis; Sei in Japan, identified M. canis in just 5 cases in 36,052 ambulatory patients. In feet and nails, M. canis is uncommon but Trichophyton sppare more contagious and responsible of outbreaks in endemic countries, and zoophilic fungi are just related to small familiar epidemics [20][21][22].…”

Dermatophytosis in special patient populations

“…Sample materials were transported in dry, strong black paper folded in the manner of a herbarium packet and transferred to the laboratory for direct microscopic examination and culturing [1]. …”

“…The disease caused by dermatophytes is known as dermatophytosis which constitutes an important public health problem, not only in underdeveloped countries but also in elderly and immunocompromised patients worldwide [1].…”

“…Traditionally, infections caused by dermatophytes (ringworm) have been named by appending the latin name of the affected body part after the word "tinea" as tinea capitis (ringworm of the scalp), the most common fungal infection in children, tinea barbae, an infection of the bearded area in the adult males, tinea corporis, involving the trunk, limbs, and occasionally the face, tinea cruris, infection of the groin, perianal, and perineal areas and usually occurring predominantly in adolescent, young adult men and in post-pubertal females, tinea versicolor, superficial fungal infection of the skin produced by Malassezia, tinea imbricate, chronic infection which is a specialized manifestation of tinea corporis, tinea manuum diffusing dry scaling lesions with accentuation of the flexural creases of the palms of the hands, tinea pedis originating in the interdigital clefts, soles, dorsum and occasionally the ankles, leg and tinea unguium (onychomycosis), fungal infection of the nail [1].…”

Tolnaftate-Loaded PolyacrylateElectrospun Nanofibers for an Impressive Regimen on Dermatophytosis

“…These infections are primarily confined to the outer layers of skin, hair, and nails, where keratin is the dominant structural protein, leading to a wide variety of disease states in the scalp (tinea capitis), feet (tinea pedis), and groin (tinea cruris) and in other body surfaces such as tinea corporis [1].These opportunistic fungal infections chiefly occur in the dead regions of keratinized cells of the stratum corneum and are ubiquitous in the world. Most are benign but can become life threatening in immune-compromised or malnourished populations [2]. Non-specificity, adverse effects, poor efficiency, and a growing resistance of these dermatophytes for traditional drug delivery systems has inspired vast interest from researchers in designing innovative topical antifungal substances with the potential to solve the above problems.…”