“A Cross-Sectional Study of Clinico-Mycological Profile of Dermatophytes and Antifungal Susceptibility Among Patients Attending Dermatology Opd at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Telangana”

Abstract

Background: Dermatophytosis is the most common supercial fungal infection worldwide, caused by dermatophytes that cause infections of the skin, hair, and nails due to their ability to invade keratin. Belong to three closely related genera: Trichophyton, Microsporum, and Epidermophyton. It is common in the tropics & subtropical regions and in areas of high humidity. Recent years have seen an alarming increase in chronic, recurrent, and recalcitrant dermatophytosis in India. Despite the availability of a wide range of antifungals, treatment failure is often observed. This is often attributed to the probable emergence of drug-resistant strains. To identify t Objectives: he dermatophyte species causing Dermatophytosis and to determine antifungal susceptibility patterns to Fluconazole and Griseofulvin by Broth microdilution. A cross-sectional study was conducte Method: d over a period of 18 months duration i.e., from June 2021 to November 2022. Skin scrapings, hair plucking, and nail clippings were collected from 200 clinically diagnosed cases of dermatophytosis who attended the outpatient department of Dermatology (DVL) and samples were processed at the upgraded Department of Microbiology at Osmania General Hospital, Afzalgunj, Hyderabad. A total of 2 Results: 00 clinically diagnosed dermatophytosis patients were included in our study following inclusion and exclusion criteria. Their demographic details and clinical examination of cutaneous lesions were recorded. In our study, most patients affected were males 57% and the most common age group was 21-30 years seen in 25.5% of patients. Tinea corporis (40%) was the most common dermatophyte lesion followed by Tinea cruris (19.5%) seen in our study. KOH positivity was seen in 42% and culture was positive in 69.5% of cases. Dermatophytes isolated are 42% and non-dermatophytes isolated are 27.5% of cases in our study. The most common dermatophyte isolated in culture was Trichophyton rubrum (45%), followed by Trichophyton mentagrophytes 28 (33.3%). Among isolates of dermatophytes, Fluconazole is sensitive to 33.3% of isolates, whereas Griseofulvin is sensitive to 52.3% of isolates. Therapeutic failure is alarmingly common in t Conclusion: he current scenario of dermatophytosis in India. Failure is probably seen with all common isolates, younger patients, high contagious nature. This study will help to standardize care, provide guidance on management, and assist in clinical decision-making for healthcare professionals