Species Distribution and Antifungal Susceptibility Profile of Dermatophytes from a Tertiary Care Centre in North India

Abstract

Objective Dermatophytoses, one of the most ancient diseases, is becoming a menace in recent times. This has made the knowledge of antifungal susceptibility a priority in today's times. Material and Methods This is a prospective study conducted over 18 months including all dermatophytes isolated during the period. Dermatophytes were identified by routine phenotypic methods. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed for griseofulvin, terbinafine, and itraconazole as per the Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute M38 A2, and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were read after 5 days. Results Patient details and associated risk factors were recorded. Fixed dose combinations with steroids were associated with 79.3% (46 out of 58) of patients with dermatophytosis of skin. Among the 72 dermatophytes isolated during the study period, 58 (80.5%) were isolated from skin scrapings and 14 (19.4%) from nail samples. Tinea corporis with cruris was the most common presentation. The most common dermatophyte isolated from skin scrapings was Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex (70.6%, 41 out of 58), while from nail samples it was Trichophyton rubrum complex (78.57%, 11 out of 14). Based on the MIC50 and MIC90 results, itraconazole showed the lowest MICs, followed by terbinafine and then griseofulvin. Conclusion With the changing epidemiology of species distribution and antifungal resistance, there is a need for continuous surveillance of these parameters of dermatophytes.

Antifungal Potency of Some Antifungal Chemotherapeutics and Antidandruff Solutions against Dermatophytic Flora from Local Hairdressers’ Tools in Awka, Nigeria

“…It is an evidence of presence and transmission of the disease among clients. However, the results of this study is not in agreement with the works of [14] and [15] who stated in their findings that Trichophyton was the most common genus isolated. The findings of this study also contradicts that of [16], who reported that Microsporum canis was the most common isolate, followed by Microsporum.…”

“…The result of this study is similar to that of [17] who reported that dermatophytes were most susceptible to ketoconazole among other antifungal drugs tested, thus suggesting that ketoconazole can be used to treat a majority of dermattophytic infections. Some other studies [15,18] reported that griseofulvin was the least active antifungal drug against T. mentagrophytes isolates which agrees with the result of the present study. Also, [19] reported in their findings that griseofulvin was the least effective (after fluconazole) against some isolated dermatophytes, including Trichophyton mentagrophytes.…”