Dermatophyte Infections in Cairo, Egypt

• DOI: 10.1007/s11046-008-9165-5
• Publication Date: 2008-10-29T05:20:18Z
• Authors: S. M. Zaki; N. Ibrahim; K. Aoyama; Y. M. Shetaia; K. Abdel-Ghany; Y. Mikami
• Keywords: Dermatophyte; Tinea Capitis; Trichophyton tonsurans; Epidermophyton floccosum; Microsporum; Medical microbiology

In this study, we examined dermatophyte infections in patients referred to the Department of Dermatology, EL-Houd El-Marsoud Hospital, Cairo, during March 2004 to June 2005. Of 506 patients enrolled in this investigation, 403 (79.6%) were clinically diagnosed as having dermatophytoses (age range 6-70 years; males 240; females 163). Species identification determined by observation of their macroscopic and microscopic characteristics was complemented with sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA region. The most common dermatophyte infection diagnosed was tinea capitis (76.4%), followed by tinea corporis (22.3%) and tinea unguium (1.2%). The most frequently isolated dermatophyte species was Trichophyton violaceum, which accounted for most (71.1%) of all the recovered dermatophytes, followed by Microsporum canis (21.09%), Trichophyton rubrum (6.2%), and Microsporum boullardii (0.49%); both Epidermophyton floccosum and Trichophyton tonsurans were each only rarely isolated (0.24%).