Epidemiology of Dermatophytoses in an Area South of Tehran,Iran

Dermatophyte infections have been considered to be a major public health problem in many parts of the world. The aim of this study was to identify the etiological and epidemiological factors of dermatophyte infections in an area south of Tehran. A total of 1254 patients suspected to have dermatophytic lesions were examined over a period of three years (1999-2001). Material collected from skin, hair, and nails was submitted to direct microscopic examination using KOH, cultured in Sabouraud dextrose agar and microscopically examined for colony morphology, in order to the identify the 169 dermatophytes isolated. The prevalence of dermatophytoses was 13.5% (95% CI: 11.7-15.5%). Their incidence was 10.6 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI: 8.5-13.2). Epiderophyton floccosum was the most frequent dermatophyte isolated (31.4%) followed by Trichophyton rubrum (18.3%), T. mentegrophytes (17.2%), T. violaceum (16.6%), Microsporum canis (6.5%), T. verrucosum (4.7%) and M. gypseum (4.1%). Epidermophytes floccosum was found to be the most common isolated dermatophyte in age groups 20-29 (30.2%). Tinea corporis (31.4%) was the most common type of infection, followed by tinea cruris (20.7%), tinea manuum (15.4%), tinea capitis (12.4%), tinea pedis (10.6%), tinea faciei (7.1%), and tinea unguium (2.4%). The frequency rate of all of the types of tinea was higher in males than in females. The anthrophilic species E. floccosum was the most common dermatophyte as a causative agent of tinea. The most prevalent fungal infection was tinea corporis caused by E. floccosum.