Clinical, epidemiological, and therapeutic profile of dermatophytosis

Abstract

BACKGROUNDThe cutaneous mycoses, mainly caused by dermatophyte fungi, are among the most common fungal infections worldwide. It is estimated that 10% to 15% of the population will be infected by a dermatophyte at some point in their lives, thus making this a group of diseases with great public health importance.OBJECTIVETo analyze the clinical, epidemiological, and therapeutic profile of dermatophytosis in patients enrolled at the Dermatology service of Universidade do Estado do Pará, Brazil, from July 2010 to September 2012.METHODA total of 145 medical records of patients diagnosed with dermatophytosis were surveyed. Data were collected and subsequently recorded according to a protocol developed by the researchers. This protocol consisted of information regarding epidemiological and clinical aspects of the disease and the therapy employed.RESULTSThe main clinical form of dermatophyte infection was onychomycosis, followed by tinea corporis, tinea pedis, and tinea capitis. Furthermore, the female population and the age group of 51 to 60 years were the most affected. Regarding therapy, there was a preference for treatments that combine topical and systemic drugs, and the most widely used drugs were fluconazole (systemic) and ciclopirox olamine (topical).CONCLUSIONThis study showed the importance of recurrent analysis of the epidemiological profile of dermatophytosis to enable correct therapeutic and preventive management of these conditions, which have significant clinical consequences, with chronic, difficult-totreat lesions that can decrease patient quality of life and cause disfigurement.

Prevalence and Etiologic Agents of Dermatophytosis among Primary School Children in Harari Regional State, Ethiopia

“…This study confirmed that the prevalence of dermatophytosis in the studied area was 23.4% which is similar to other African studies [5,11,12] but in developed countries it was less than 5% [13] that demonstrates that dermatophytosis is still a common problem in developing countries school children. Tinea capitis was identified as the most prevalent clinical presentation 66.6% that is similar to the other studies done in other African school children and younger age is the most susceptible group.…”

“…Tinea capitis was identified as the most prevalent clinical presentation 66.6% that is similar to the other studies done in other African school children and younger age is the most susceptible group. This study found that T. violaceum was the most common etiologic agent followed by T. rubrum but in other studies variable species were identified [2,7,11,12,14] which validates etiologic agent variation with respect to a particular geographical location, socioeconomic status, and life style of the studied population. We recommend further research on the possible risk factors for tinea capitis in the school children.…”

“…The prevalence of dermatophytosis was 23.4% in the current study whereas in other similar studies which were done in Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Spain on primary school children it was 5.0%, 31.6%, 11.4%, and 2.9%, respectively [11][12][13][14]. These variations between countries show that the prevalence of dermatophytic fungal infection varies depending on climate condition, socioeconomic status, and geographical location of the studied population.…”

“…Except frequency variation the other variables were not statistically associated ( > 0.05). A study among Nigerian school children showed that the most prevalent species among the males was T. tonsurans while the least were M. canis and M. gypseum, whereas in females T. tonsurans (25.0%) and M. canis were equally identified [11]. These variations confirm that the etiologic agents may differ in relation with dermatophyte host preference, occupation, and cultural habits with respect to gender and age of the studied population.…”

Drug Prescribing Pattern in Dermatophytosis at the Medical Outpatient Clinic of a Tertiary Healthcare in Karnataka, India

“…Fluconazole requires elevated concentrations to achieve a fungistatic effect, which is consistent with the mechanism of action of azole antifungals. Fluconazole is less active than Terbinafine [14].…”