Dermatophytosis: a 16-year retrospective study in a metropolitan area in southern Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Dermatophytoses are considered a public health problem. The objectives of this study were to determine the evolution of their prevalence in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, Brazil, and to analyze the dermatophyte species distribution according to body site and demographic characteristics of the patients. Methodology: This work was a retrospective analysis of data from patients attending a tertiary care hospital during 1996-2011. Results: There were 9,048 cases with cultures positive for dermatophytes. Trichophyton rubrum occurred in 59.6% of the cases, followed by Trichophyton interdigitale (34%), Microsporum canis (2.6%), Epidermophyton floccosum (1.5%), Microsporum gypseum (1.3%), and Trichophyton tonsurans (0.9%). The angular coefficients for T. interdigitale, E. floccosum, T. rubrum, and M. canis were +1.119, +0.211, -0.826 and -0.324% per year, respectively. Males presented higher prevalence of infection (79.3% versus 53.9%). Tinea unguium occurred in 48.5% of the cases, followed by tinea pedis (33.1%). T. rubrum was the predominant species in all regions of the body except the scalp, where M. canis was responsible for 75% of the cases. Conclusion: Monitoring of the evolution of dermatophytosis tracks changes in prevalence over the years and may assist practical measures for the public health control of this disease.

Current Spectrum of Dermatophytosis in a Tertiary Care Hospital of North India – A 6-Year Clinico-Mycological Study

“…Thus the two agents may have aggravated infectiousness accounting for greater number of cases. The anatomical site predilection is another determinant of the frequency with which various species are isolated [16] .…”

“…T. violaceum was also the predominant cause of tinea capitis from similar Indian studies [7]- [9], [11] . M. gypseum is an uncommon geophilic fungus that has been reported as a cause of facial tinea from Brazil [16] . It has been isolated as soil saprophyte from Himachal [17] .…”

Inibitory effects of linalool on fungal pathogenicity of clinical isolates of Microsporum canis and Microsporum gypseum

“…Epidemiological data indicate that dermatophytoses are seen more frequently in developing countries and often associated with a history of exposure and the presence of risk factors . M. canis and M. gypseum are found frequently in tinea capitis and tinea corporis cases in both the American continent and Brazil …”

Antidermatophytic Activity of the Fruticose Lichen Usnea orientalis

“…A study in the US revealed that between 22% and 55% had hair scalp infection of dermatophytes [9]. Another study conducted in Brazil showed that Trichophyton rubrum , Microsporum canis , and Epidermophyton floccosum were the most prevalent species infecting humans in developing countries [10]. The World Health Organization estimated that dermatophytes affect about 25% of the world population [6].…”