1Post-graduate Resident, Department of Pathology, B. J. Medical College and Civil Hospital, Asarwa, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
2Additional Professor, Department of Pathology, B. J. Medical College and Civil Hospital, Asarwa, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
3Professor & Head, Department of Pathology, B. J. Medical College and Civil Hospital, Asarwa, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
4Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Cardiology, Independent Researcher, U N Mehta Institute of Cardiology & Research Centre (UNMICRC), Civil Hospital, Asarwa, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
*Corresponding author: Dr. Khushali Dharmesh Parikh Postgraduate Resident of Pathology, B. J. Medical College and Civil Hospital, Asarwa, Ahmedabad, 380016, Gujarat, India. Phone: +918238058468, +919428804074, E-mail: khushaliparikh@gmail.com
Online published on 6 September, 2018.
Fungal infections have emerged as an important pathogen of medical importance. This study was conducted with the objective of assessing the clinico-pathological profile of the patients presenting with fungal infections.
It was a retrospective record based secondary data analysis of patients diagnosed with fungal infections in a tertiary care hospital. All 78 patients diagnosed with fungal infections during 2013–16 were included in the study. The samples had been sent to the Department of Pathology from patients clinically suspected to be suffering from fungal infection and were diagnosed here.
The mean age of the patients was 46.9 years and 61.5% of the patients were male. The minimum age was 10 years and the maximum was 85 years, proving that fungal infections afflict all the age groups. The majority (64.1%) of the sample sent for diagnosis were skin tissue; followed by nasal mass (14.1%), sinus (6.4%) and respiratory tract (5.1%). Mucormycosis was the most common fungal diagnosis (33.3%); followed by fungal infections of the skin (20.5%), fungal sinusitis (6.4%), maduromycosis (6.4%), asper-gillosis (5.1%) and tenia (5.1%). A few other diagnoses included candida, fungal tonsillitis, chromoblastomycosis and histoplasmosis (2.6% each). The risk factor of diabetes was present in 25.6% of the patients.
Mucormycosis followed by fungal infections of the skin were the most common diagnoses at our tertiary care center. Skin followed by nasal mass was the most common tissue sent for diagnosis. No age group was free from the risk of getting fungal infections, but males were more affected.
Clinical pathology, diabetes mellitus, fungi, hospital records, India
