Clinicomycological and epidemiological profile of dermatophytosis in a rural referral center

Dermatophytosis infections are of public health importance because of their transmissibility from human to human or from animal to human. In the present study we investigated the clinical pattern of dermatophytosis and species prevalence in a rural area of Haryana, India. Clinically suspected and untreated dermatophytosis cases (n=173) attending dermatology outpatient department over a period of one year (July 2007 to June 2008) included in the study irrespective of their age or gender. Specimens (skin scrapings, hair and nail) were collected from suspected patients (n=173) with dermatophytosis and examined for the presence of fungal elements, cultured, isolated and identified. Of the 173 clinically suspected cases of dermatophytosis, 127 (73.41%) were positive for fungal elements by KOH microscopy and 109 (63%) cases were culture positive. Out of the 109 culture positive cases, tineaunguium was prevalent among the majority of cases (46.78%). T. rubrum (58.82%) was the major causative species isolated. The age group most affected was 16-45 years (74.31%) followed by 46 -60 years (15.59%). Also maximum number of patients affected was males (66.05%) than females (33.94%), male to female ratio was 2:1.The isolation rates of dermatophytes (tineaunguium) have been observed to be much higher in this study. The present study also shows the s i g n i f i c a n t d i ff e r e n c e i n c l i n i c a l p a t t e r n o f dermatophytosis in Haryana from other parts of north India.