Fungal infection as a cause of skin disease in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia: tinea corporis and tinea cruris

Abstract

Summary. In the period between April 1984 and April 1988 a total of 4,294 clinically suspected cases of dermatomycoses were examined for causative fungi. Of these cases 768 (17.9%) were suspected as tinea corporis (427 cases) and tinea cruris (341 cases). Twenty two different nationalities were represented. Both sexes were involved and the age range was 19 days to 70 years. Of the 768 patients examined, 738 (96.1%) had their diagnosis confirmed by direct microscopy and in 631 of these positive cases the etiology was determined. Of the 408 patients who had suffered from tinea corporis, 323 isolates were obtained from 313 culturally positive cases. Microsporum canis was the main etiologic agent followed by Trichophyton violaceum, T. mentagro‐phytes, T. rubrum and Epidermophyton floccosum. Of the 330 patients who had suffered from tinea cruris, 388 isolates were obtained from 318 culturally positive cases and E. floccosum was the main etiologic agent. Next in frequencies were T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes while Candida albicans was isolated from 45 of 70 patients with mixed isolates. Treatment with topical antifungal agents was effective in most of the cases. Oral griseofulvin in addition to the topical application was found necessary in extensive widespread cases. Zusammenfassung. Zwischen April 1984 und April 1988 wurden im Dammam‐Zentralhospital in der saudiarabischen Ostprovinz insgesamt 4 294 Dermatomykose‐Verdachtsfälle mykologisch unter‐sucht. Von diesen imponierten 768 Fälle (17,9%) entweder als Tinea corporis (427 Fälle) oder Tinea cruris (341 Fälle). Die Patienten gehörten 22 Na‐tionalitäten an. Beide Geschlechter im Alter von 19 Tagen bis 70 Jahren waren vertreten. In dem un‐tersuchten Kollektiv wurde bei 738 Patienten (96,1 %) die Diagnose direktmikroskopisch bestä‐tigt, und bei 631 dieser Fälle konnte die Pilzätiologie belegt werden. Von 408 Patienten mit Tinea corporis waren 313 kulturell positiv mit 323 Isolaten. Als Haupterreger erwies sich Microsporum canis, gefolgt von Trichophyton violaceum, T. mentagro‐phytes, T. rubrum und Epidermophyton floccosum. Bei 330 Patienten mit Tinea cruris waren 318 kulturell positiv mit 388 Isolaten; E. floccosum war der häufigste Erreger, gefolgt von T. rubrum und T. mentagrophytes. Candida albicans wurde bei 45 von 70 Patienten mit Mischisolaten nachgewiesen. In den meisten Fällen war die Behandlung mit to‐pischen Antimykotika wirksam. Die orale Gabe von Griseofulvin zusätzlich zur topischen Behandlung erwies sich häufig als notwendig.

Characteristics of superficial fungal infections in the Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia

“…Microsporum canis was also a frequently isolated dermatophyte (Table 3), and our findings are in agreement with earlier studies from the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia, including Dammam 17 and Qatif, 18,37 which showed a high prevalence of M. canis . M. canis has also been reported as the most common pathogen producing scalp infection in children in Europe and Thailand 12,38 .…”

“…Studies aimed at determining the intensity and nature of SFIs in different regions of the world are important for the prevention and management of SFIs 1,13–16 . Although SFIs are quite common in Saudi Arabia, 17,18 very little attention has been paid to their characteristics and prevalence in this country.…”

Distribution and prevalence of dermatophytosis in tertiary care hospital

“…and Aspergillus spp. They can be transmitted from person to person in various human habitats and also from animals to human especially in children [19,20] . Several studies conducted worldwide, demonstrated that dermatophytes still the most frequent etiologic agents of skin, nail and hair fungal infections diagnosed [21] .…”