A Mycological Study of Superficial Mycoses at the Skin Clinic in Sabah, Malaysia

Abstract

Superficial fungal infections are common in Sabah. The skin clinic is a tertiary referral center for dermatological diseases in Sabah, and sees more than 7,000 cases of various skin complaints annually. The study analyses data collated from the skin clinic's medical records as well as fungus culture results from the microbiology diagnostic unit. A total of 7325 subjects were screened for superficial mycoses. Of the 7,325 subjects sampled randomly, 180 (2.5 %) had lesions suggestive of superficial mycoses. A predominance of dermatomatophytoses in the 50 years and above age group was observed. In Sabah State the relative humidity fluctuates between 60 % and 70 % for most part of the year and the area receives heavy rain falls. Thus, the environmental conditions are conducive for development of superficial mycoses.

Superficial Fungal Skin Infections in Patients Attending Zliten Teaching Hospital (North West of Libya)

“…Male to female ratio in our study was 1.2, identical to result in study conducted in Malaysia, and opposite what was found in Tunisia with male to female sex-ratio (0.82). 10,12 In this study, the most susceptible age group was children less than 7 years, similar to what was found in Tripoli(Libya) 8 , in which the majority of patients(85%) were children less than 15 years old, and also similar distribution was found in patients attending to some hospitals in Egypt and the susceptibility was high to tinea capitis, same to our finding. 11 In our study tinea capitis represented 25.5% of all superficial mycosis, taking in consideration that candiasis were not involved in our study, this distribution of Tinea capitis is similar to that found in patients attended to three hospitals in Egypt and Sfax in Tunisea, which found to be 69.4% in Tunisea and 28.6% in Egypt and followed with Tinea pedis in our study and in Egypt, but followed with Tinea corporis in Sfax (Tunisia).…”

“…10 The frequency of fungal infections was dramatically reduced after 55 years of age and this corroborate the finding in one Egyptian study 11 and opposite the finding of study conducted in Malaysia, in which the most of patients were older than 50 years. 12 This variation may be related to variations in demography, geography and exposure to risk factors.…”

Dermoscopy in superficial fungal infection

“…It predominantly affects the age group 50 years and above. 5 Tinea pedis is estimated to occur in about 15% of the healthy population, and fungal nail disease occurs in more than 15%, depending on age. 9 Research at primary health centers in the city of Toukh shows the prevalence of fungal infections is 18.6%, with a higher prevalence of dermatophytes than non-dermatophytes (51.2% vs. 37.2%).…”

Mycological study on skin diseases in Taiz City,Yemen

“…Many studies on superficial mycoses in different parts of the world have confirmed that host susceptibility may be enhanced by moisture, warmth, specific skin chemistry composition of sebum and perspiration, age, heavy expourem genetic predisposition, use antimicrobial, Immunosuppressive drugs as well as the emergence of AIDS, has been reported as predisposing factors of the increased incidence of dermatophytoses (Silveira-Gomes et al, 2013;Murtaza et al,2013;Kantarcioglu et al,2015;Rouzaud et al 2016).…”