CLINICO-MYCOLOGICAL PROFILE OF DERMATOPHYTOSIS AND DERMATOMYCOSIS AMONG PATIENTS ATTENDING OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL.
This study was conducted to determine the common isolates causing dermatophytosis and other fungi causing dermatomycosis in patients presenting with skin lesions with or without involvement of hair and nails. A total of 75 patients were included in the study with 86 distinctive clinical lesions, of which Tinea corporis (46.7%,) was the most predominant followed by T. cruris (22.7%), T. unguium (14.7%) with a male to female ratio of 1.3:1. KOH mounts were made from samples and examined for fungal elements and samples were sent to Microbiology laboratory for culture, and identication among them 77.3% were skin scrapings alone and 14.7% were nail clippings along with skin scrapings and 8% were hair samples along with skin scrapings. Most common isolate was Trichophyton rubrum (40%) followed by Trichophyton mentagrophytes (17.3%), Trichophyton tonsurans (9.3%), Microsporum gypseum (4%) and no fungal growth was found in 17.3% of the samples. The study signies the importance of mycological examination in the diagnosis of dermatophytosis.