Clinico-mycological profile of dermatophytosis in a tertiary care hospital in North-Eastern India

Abstract

Objectives: While studies from different parts of India do show an increasing trend and change in the pattern of dermatophytosis, the same cannot be said about Northeast India. This study was therefore undertaken to identify the clinical and mycological profile of dermatophytosis in a tertiary care hospital in North-Eastern India. Furthermore, this study will help to identify the various risk factors and study the impact of comorbidities on the disease pattern. Material and Methods: All diagnosed cases of dermatophytosis (either KOH mount or culture positive or both) were included in the study. Data collection was done in the preformed pro forma, which included demographic and clinical variables, presence of risk factors, and comorbidities. Results: A total of 111 diagnosed cases of dermatophytosis were included in our study with ages ranging from 3 to 73 years and a mean age of 32.8 years. In adults, the majority belonged to 21–30 years (34.2%) while the pediatric population comprised 8.1%. KOH mount positivity was seen in 90.1%, and culture positivity was seen in 87.4%. History of topical steroid use was present in 69.4% of patients while 62.2% had unhygienic practices, and 9% had immune-compromised status. Combined infection (27.9%) was the most common clinical type followed by tinea cruris (24.3%), tinea corporis (22.5%), and onychomycosis (14.4%). Trichophyton rubrum was found to be the most common isolate. Conclusion: Our study revealed that combined infection (27.9%), tinea cruris (24.3%), and tinea corporis (22.5%) continue to be the three most common presentations clinically while onychomycosis (14.4%) has become less frequent of a presentation. Interestingly, our study revealed that it was the most frequent manifestation in patients with comorbidities (38.46%). T. rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes were the predominant species that were isolated.