2011 Epidemiological Survey of Dermatomycoses in Japan

Abstract

An epidemiological survey of dermatomycoses and their causative fungus flora in Japan for 2011 was conducted in accordance with methods and criteria of the past four surveys. The survey covered a total number of 36,052 outpatients who visited 12 dermatological clinics throughout Japan. The results were as follows. 1）Dermatophytosis was the most prevalent cutaneous fungal infection (2,980 cases) seen in these clinics, followed by candidiasis (378 cases) and then Malassezia infections (152 cases). 2）Among dermatophytoses, tinea pedis was the most frequent (1,930 cases : male, 980 ; female, 950), then in decreasing order, tinea unguium (780 cases : male, 409 ; female, 371), tinea corporis (203 cases : male, 132 ; female, 71), tinea cruris (112 cases : male, 86 ; female, 26), tinea manuum (43 cases : male, 25 ; female, 18), and tinea capitis including kerion (16 cases : male, 13 ; female, 3). 3）Tinea pedis and tinea unguium were seen to increase in the summer season and occur mostly among the aged population. Compared to the last survey, by clinical form, there was a marked decrease in dermatophytosis patients. 4）As the causative dermatophyte species, Trichophyton rubrum was the most frequently isolated at about 80 % among all dermatophyte infections excluding tinea capitis. T. mentagrophytes was about 10 %. Microsporum canis was isolated in five cases. M. gypseum was isolated in three cases, and Epidermophyton floccosum was isolated in only one case. T. tonsurans was isolated in 13 cases. 5）Cutaneous candidiasis was seen in 378 cases (305, male ; 537, female). Intertrigo (298 cases) was the most frequent clinical form, followed by diaporcandidiasis (79 cases), erosion interdigitalis (62 cases), genital candidiasis (46 cases). 6）Tinea versicolor was seen in 97 cases. Malassezia folliculitis was isolated in 55 cases.