Dermatophytosis in a tertiary care teaching hospital of Odisha: A study of 100 cases of superficial fungal skin infection

Dermatophytosis is common superficial fungal infection of the skin. Recurrent dermatophytosis has become a troublesome entity in a tropical country like India and also carries a great psychosocial problem. The present study was undertaken with the aim to isolate and identify different species of dermatophyte and to study their clinical pattern.

The study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital over a period of 1 year taking 100 cases of suspected superficial fungal skin infection. Isolation and identification of causative species was done by various methods like macroscopic, microscopic, culture and biochemical tests.

The present study found Tinea corporis to be the commonest clinical type with 45 cases (45%) followed by Tinea cruris 31cases (31%). Out of 100 cases males were more in number 58(58%) compared to female 42(42%). Out of 100 cases which were subjected for KOH mount, 57 cases were positive and 43 cases were negative for fungal elements on direct microscopy. Culture was positive in 47 cases which included 42 KOH positive cases and 05 KOH negative cases. Trichophyton rubrum was the commonest isolate in 70.21% of isolates.

This study highlighted that Tinea corporis is the commonest clinical type with Trichophyton rubrum as the most common aetiological agents and males are more frequently affected. Though various species of dermatophytes produce clinically different characteristic lesions, but a single species may produce various types of lesions depending upon site of Infection.