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Dermatophytoses in children: study of 137 cases.

Dermatophytoses are common fungal infections caused by dermatophytes but there are few data about this condition in the childhood. 137 children below the age of 12 and clinically diagnosed as tineas were investigated prospectively at Instituto de Puericultura e Pediatria, Rio de Janeiro, from 1994 to 1999. Hair, skin/nails scraping and pus swabs were collected from lesions and processed for fungus. Male children from 2 to 12 years were mostly affected; tinea capitis (78 cases) mainly caused by Microsporum canis (46 cases) was the most common clinical form. Tinea corporis (43 cases) mainly caused by Trichophyton rubrum (17 cases) accounted for the second most frequent clinical form. Tinea cruris (10 cases) with Trichophyton rubrum (5 cases) as the most common etiologic agent accounted for the third most frequent clinical form. Tinea pedis and tinea unguium were much less frequent (3 cases each). Trichophyton rubrum was the most common etiologic agent isolated in these cases (3 cases).

Brazil↗

Role of oral antifungal agents for the treatment of superficial fungal infections in immunocompromised patients.

Superficial fungal infections or tinea infections (also known as the dermatophytoses) are commonly encountered conditions in clinical practice, affecting the skin, hair, and nails. The most commonly prescribed modality to treat these infections is topical antifungal therapy. However, this method of treating tinea infections may be less convenient and efficacious in the immunocompromised patient. In such patients, skin infections are more difficult to treat because the disease is often more extensive and severe. Tinea infections of the hair and nails usually require oral therapy. Further, topical treatment is not as efficacious as oral antifungal therapy and, with the exception of the topical antifungal agent ciclopirox, is not indicated for the treatment of tinea unguium (onychomycosis). The 2 most frequently prescribed oral antifungal agents to treat onychomycosis are itraconazole and terbinafine. In the general population, both agents are effective in treating fungal nail infections; however, differences in the agents' mechanism of action and metabolic pathways result in differences in efficacy and drug-drug interaction potential. However, limited data exist on the use of these agents in immunocompromised patients for the treatment of onychomycosis and superficial tinea infections. The available efficacy data we have are limited to case reports or small pilot studies; thus, data supporting the efficacy of these agents for the treatment of tinea infections in the immunocompromised patient must be extrapolated from the general population. For safety issues, however, some postmarketing data exist supporting the safety of these agents in the diabetic and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients populations; indeed, both agents appear to be safe. However, one contrasting point between these 2 agents is drug interactions. Oral terbinafine, unlike itraconazole (a potent cytochrome P-450 [CYP] 3A4 inhibitor), has a relatively low potential for drug-drug interactions, making terbinafine a useful agent for the treatment of tinea infections in immunocompromised patients (e.g., those who are HIV positive and those with diabetes), who are likely to be receiving concomitant medications. Further, recently conducted studies of terbinafine for the treatment of tinea pedis, tinea cruris, and tinea corporis infections in these high-risk patient groups also support efficacy claims and reemphasize its relatively safe profile and low potential for drug interactions. Additional studies in other immunocompromised patient populations may be useful to confirm recent studies and expand the potential use for this agent.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Asthma, rhinitis and dermatitis triggered by fungal infection: therapeutic effects of terbinafine.

We report 2 atopic patients suffering from tinea unguium caused by Trichophyton rubrum. In addition, both patients had symptoms of allergies: one had perennial rhinoconjunctivitis and bronchial asthma, the other had chronic dermatitis of the face and neck. In both cases, their allergy symptoms improved dramatically during oral therapy with the antifungal agent terbinafine (250 mg/day) and relapsed after its discontinuation.

Administration, Oral↗

Mycotic infections. Effective management of conditions involving the skin, hair, and nails.

Superficial mycotic infections of the skin, hair, or nails are recurring presentations in the geriatric primary care setting. The most common infections are those caused by dermatophytes. The genus Trichophyton gives rise to most of the tinea dermatophytoses, including tinea capitis, tinea pedis, and tinea unguium (onychomycosis). Part of the diagnostic challenge lies in distinguishing the mycotic lesions from those caused by cutaneous diseases such as psoriasis, eczema, dyshidrosis, and contact dermatitis. Because environmental conditions play a major role in fungal infection onset, clinical management should include patient education about conditions conducive to fungal propagation. Oral agents are the primary mode of treatment for fungal infections of the scalp and nails, whereas topical treatments are frontline agents for other superficial skin conditions.

Antifungal Agents↗

German randomized double-blind multicentre comparison of terbinafine and itraconazole for the treatment of toenail tinea infection.

One-hundred and ninety-five patients with toenail tinea unguium were recruited to a multicentre double-blind clinical trial. Patients were given 250 mg terbinafine or 200 mg itraconazole daily for 12 weeks, with follow-up for a further 40 weeks. At the end of the study, mycological cure rates were 81% (70/86 assessed) for terbinafine and 63% (53/84 assessed) for itraconazole (two-tailed, P < 0.01). The length of unaffected nail was 9.44 mm in the terbinafine group and 7.85 mm in the itraconazole group (two-tailed, P < 0.05). Patient self-assessment also favoured terbinafine, with 65% evaluating it as good to very good, compared with 58% for itraconazole. Before treatment the terbinafine group had a mean of 6.7 and the itraconazole group 6.3 affected nails per patient. Total cure was achieved in 69% of terbinafine and 61% of itraconazole affected nails. We conclude that terbinafine is more effective than itraconazole in the treatment of toenail tinea infection.

Adult↗

Demonstration of dermatophyte dissemination from the infected soles using the foot-press method.

We have designed a new direct isolation method, the foot-press method, to survey dissemination of dermatophytes from the infected soles. A total of 56 untreated patients with tinea pedis were examined. The infected soles of 42 patients were pressed onto actidione-chloramphenicol-5-fluorocytosine (5FC)-gentamicin sulphate Sabouraud glucose medium prepared in a large culture dish; the culture media were then incubated at 25 degrees C. Dermatophytes were isolated in 30 out of the 42 patients, while no dermatophytes could be grown from 10 healthy controls. The number of isolated colonies from each patient ranged from 1 to 97 (mean +/- SD, 11 +/- 20). The isolation frequencies were higher in the patients of hyperkeratotic type and in those with tinea unguium, while causative organisms and the extent of the lesions did not affect the results of the footpress method significantly. In order to reveal the morphology of disseminated dermatophytes, 1 x 1 cm pieces of culture media were cut out from culture dishes after pressing infected soles and were examined microscopically. Dermatophyte-like spores or hyphae, most of which were detached from cornified cells, could be seen in 10 out of 14 patients. Subsequently performed slide cultures isolated dermatophytes from approximately 70% of the pieces on which dermatophyte-like fungi were observed.

Adult↗

Tinea pedis in members of the Japanese Self-defence Forces: relationships of its prevalence and its severity with length of military service and width of interdigital spaces.

We examined the relationship between prevalence and severity of tinea pedis and the length of service and the width of the spaces between the toes in 74 members of the Japanese Self-Defence Forces (SDF) undergoing special training. The subjects were divided according to the width of these spaces into: group I, wide; group II, fairly wide; and group III, closed. The severity of tinea pedis was determined by its duration and the extent of the lesions in the 49 subjects who had tinea pedis. The combined prevalence of tinea pedis and tinea unguium was 66%. There was a tendency for the prevalence to be higher in subjects who had served for 10 years or more in the SDF than in those with fewer than 10 years of service. Classified by the disposition of their toes, 10 subjects fell into group I, 34 into group II, and 30 into group III. The prevalence of 90% (27/30) in group III was significantly higher than in the other groups. A significant positive correlation was seen between length of SDF service and severity. Subjects with both a long service record and closed interdigital spaces showed both a high prevalence and marked severity.

Adult↗

First report on autochthonous urease-positive Trichophyton rubrum (T. raubitschekii) from South-east Europe.

BACKGROUND: Trichophyton raubitschekii is a dermatophyte belonging to the T. rubrum complex and is differentiated principally by its positive urease activity and production of profuse macroconidia and microconidia in culture. It is classically isolated from African, South-east Asian and Australian aboriginal patients with tinea corporis or tinea cruris. OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to screen Greek and Bulgarian clinical isolates identified as T. rubrum for T. raubitschekii and to delineate these strains by two molecular methods used for the first time in T. rubrum epidemiological studies. METHODS: Ninety-five Greek and 10 Bulgarian strains, originating from various body sites, initially identified as T. rubrum, were screened for urease activity. The biochemical properties and morphology of the urease-positive strains were determined. Strains were delineated with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-ribotyping amplifying repeat elements of the intergenic spacer region and by PCR fingerprinting. RESULTS: Five Greek and one Bulgarian T. raubitschekii strains were identified comprising isolates from patients with tinea manuum (one), tinea corporis (one), tinea cruris (one) and tinea unguium (three). Only one strain had the classical T. raubitschekii microscopic morphology, whereas the remaining five presented a dominant arthroconidial phenotype. Both typing methods clustered all T. raubitschekii and T. rubrum isolates together in the same group, indicating strain homogeneity in the genetic regions examined. CONCLUSIONS: The reported isolation of T. raubitschekii in the Balkan and South-eastern Mediterranean regions extends the geographical distribution of this species. As the more primitive T. raubitschekii probably represents the parental population of T. rubrum, the Greek and Bulgarian T. raubitschekii strains could represent a remnant of the T. rubrum spread that took place after the First World War, rather than being a recent epidemiological event.

Bulgaria↗

[Epidemiologic characteristics of onychomycosis--results of a retrospective study].

INTRODUCTION: The term onychomycosis is used for fungal infections of the nail unit. Tinea unguium is defined as a dermatophyte nail infection. The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiological characteristics of onychomycoses. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ambulatory patients of the policlinic department of the Clinic of Dermatovenereology in Novi Sad were included in this study. Every patient with clinically suspected nail changes was examined. Direct microscopy of nail clippings and isolation of fungi on Sabouraud agar were performed. The results were evaluated using standard statistic methods. RESULTS: During a one-year-period (1995-1996) 70 cases of onychomycoses were registered that is 1.07% of the total number of patients examined in this period (N = 6535). The vast majority of observed patients were females (N = 47-67.14%), and male patients were significantly less frequent (N = 23-32.86%, p < 0.01). The most frequent type was dermatophyte onychomycosis (N = 39-55.71%), and the most often isolated agent was Trichophyton mentagrophytes (N = 38-54.29%). Manual workers were most often affected (N = 18-25.71%). Most patients were in the 41-50 year age group (N = 23-32.86%). The mean age of patients was X = 47.64 years (SD = 15.39). Table 4 shows the clinical duration of different types of onychomycoses. The longest clinical course was in the group of dermatophyte onychomycosis (20 years, one case). The mean clinical duration of the whole group was 26.81 months (SD = 40.04). Table 5 shows presence of other dermatomycoses associated with onychomycoses. Tinea pedis was the most frequently observed dermatomycosis (N = 9-60.00%). DISCUSSION: The incidence (1.07%) is something less than usual, and other findings are compatible with standard results. A lower incidence could be the result of the fact that children under 17 years are managed at the Institute of Mother and Child Health Care in Novi Sad. CONCLUSION: This study is a contribution to epidemiological investigations of onychomycoses. This disorder, with its social and medical importance and dubious treatment results, puts onychomycoses on high level of interest in modern dermatovenereology.

Adolescent↗

[Two cases of dermatophytosis of the external auditory meatus].

We report two cases of dermatophytosis of the external auditory meatus. Case 1: A 44-year-old man suffered from severe itching in the right external auditory meatus for a year, and had also had tinea unguium for several years. He visited our outpatient clinic because of scaly erythema which had developed on the auricle. Otoscopic examination revealed yellow-brown dry cerumen and redness from the cartilaginous to the bony portion of the external auditory meatus. Case 2: A 14-year-old boy, the son of Case 1, suffered from severe itching in the left external auditory meatus. He scratched the auditory meatus with an earpick which his father had used. Otoscopic examination revealed a similar lesion as in the father's case, although he had no history of dermatophytosis elsewhere on his body, including the auricle. Direct examination using a KOH method of the cerumen from both cases demonstrated numerous fungal elements. Fungal culture identified Trichophyton rubrum. Both cases were successfully treated with oral itraconazole. We suggest that infection from father to son was transferred by the earpick.

Adolescent↗

Epidemiology and ecology of onychomycosis.

The epidemiology and ecology of onychomycosis are complex and little understood. Most is known about tinea unguium, dermatophytic nail infection, and its causative agents. This is often categorised according to the precise locus on the nail of the infection. The principal infectious propagules are thought to be the arthroconidia or chlamydospores which form within the solid substratum of invaded nail tissue. The process of infecting new hosts appears to be facilitated by abrasion, moistening and scratching. The role of the non-dermatophyte yeast Candida as an agent of onychomycosis per se may have been overestimated. The range of interactions between dermatophytes and non-dermatophytes in nails is complex and poorly understood. There may be at least six distinct ecological categories of non-dermatophyte isolations from nails. It would be of clinical interest to know which species found in mixed infections were never able to advance beyond 'secondary colonisation', as they would not require specific treatment.

Adult↗

Onychomycosis in Rome, Italy.

This report presents the results of a study conducted between 1985 and 1994 on onychomycosis observed in the city of Rome. Six thousand six hundred and eighty eight patients were examined during this period. Among them 1,762 (26.3%) were affected by fungal nail infections. Because the etiologic agents could not be isolated in 105 cases (6%), the results refer to 1,657 subjects (24.8% of the total), presenting with positive microscopic and cultural examinations. Thirty eight patients (2.3%) had onychomycosis of both their hands and feet. From an etiological point of view, 59.1% of the nail infections were caused by yeasts, 23.2% were infected with dermatophytes and 17.6% by non-dermatophytic fungi. The etiology of onychomycosis of the hands differed from that of the feet. Yeasts were primarily responsible for onychomycosis of the hands (86.2%), while dermatophytes caused tinea unguium peduum (48%). Fungal fingernail infections by Candida spp. were the most common (50.3%), followed by those of the feet by dermatophytes (20%). Candida albicans was responsible for 70.6% of the hand infections but for only 15.9% of those of the feet. Trichophyton rubrum and T mentagrophytes were the most common dermatophytes, mainly causing toenail infections (23.4% and 21%, respectively), while Aspergillus spp., Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, Acremonium spp. and Aspergillus niger were the most common non-dermatophytes observed. With regard to sex, the fungal nail infections were more widespread in women (72.1%) and in subjects of both sexes over the age of 50.

Adolescent↗

Itraconazole in common dermatophyte infections of the skin: fixed treatment schedules.

Itraconazole is an effective medication against the most common dermatophytoses. It has been shown to be more active than griseofulvin and ketoconazole. Ease of use, affinity for keratinized tissues, lack of toxicity, continued activity after discontinuation, and the possibility of using fixed schedules are advantages of itraconazole. The fixed schedules indicated by pharmacokinetics and clinical studies are one 100 mg capsule daily for 15 days in cases of tinea corporis and tinea cruris and the same dosage for 30 days in cases of tinea pedis and tinea manuum. These fixed treatments have some limitations, and they are not recommended for treating tinea capitis and tinea unguium. The drug is well tolerated.

Antifungal Agents↗

Double-blind, parallel-group comparison of terbinafine and griseofulvin in the treatment of toenail onychomycosis.

BACKGROUND: Griseofulvin has been used in the treatment of toenail onychomycosis with limited success. Evidence suggests that terbinafine may be more effective. OBJECTIVE: In a double-blind, parallel-group study we compared 250 mg/day terbinafine for 16 weeks with 500 mg/day griseofulvin for 52 weeks (or for shorter periods in cured patients) in patients with toenail onychomycosis. METHODS: Eighty-nine patients with culture-proved tinea unguium were included, and 43 in the terbinafine group and 41 in the griseofulvin group were assessable for efficacy. Patients who had not improved after 16 weeks were entered into an open study and were given 250 mg/day terbinafine for 16 weeks with the study code still blinded and were then followed up for 20 weeks. RESULTS: Terbinafine was significantly more effective than griseofulvin, with 42% being completely cured and 84% mycologically cured compared with only 2% with total cure and 45% with mycologic cure in the griseofulvin-treated group. The number of side effects was significantly lower in the terbinafine group (11%) compared with the griseofulvin group (29%). CONCLUSION: Terbinafine is significantly more effective than griseofulvin in the treatment of toenail onychomycosis.

Adolescent↗

Origins of onychomycosis.

Onychomycosis, or tinea unguium, is generically thought of as a fungus infection of the nails characterized by thickening, splitting, roughening, and discoloration. This article discusses the origins of this condition as well as methods of classification and evaluation.

Aspergillosis↗

Mucocutaneous lesions in transplant recipient in a tropical country.

Dermatological manifestations are common in renal transplant patients, but differ markedly with ethnic group and geographical location. We studied mucocutaneous lesions in 54 renal allograft recipients (related donors = 30; unrelated donors = 24) living in tropical atmospheres. Their gender was 50 males, and 4 females ranging in age between 15 and 63 years (mean = 37.84 years). The mean duration of follow-up was 124 months (range = 4 to 173 months). All patients received kidneys from living donors and were kept on immunosupression with mean daily doses of prednisolone, azathioprine, and cyclosporine of 10.2 mg, 68.6 mg, and 252 mg, respectively. The mean trough concentration of cyclosporine was 185 ng/mL. The mucocutaneous lesions were divided into four groups: drug-induced (n = 24, 44.4%), fungal (n = 18, 33.3%), viral (n = 9, 16.6%), and bacterial (n = 10, 18.5%). Cushingoid features, gum hypertrophy, and hypertrichosis were seen in 7 (12.9%) patients. Steroid acne was seen in three cases. Pityriasis versicolor was the most common (20.3%) fungal infection of the skin. In addition, Tinea unguium and mucocutaneous candidiasis were noted in four and three cases respectively. Herpes virus infection (Herpes zoster 5; Herpes simplex 2) was noted in 7 (12.9%) cases. Chicken pox at 5 years posttransplant and cutaneous vasculitis associated with cytomegalovirus disease at 6 months posttransplant were seen in one case each. We have not seen warts in our patients. Pyogenic bacterial infection of skin in the form of abscess (n = 6), cellulitis (n = 3), and pyoderma (n = 1) were observed in 10 (18.5%) patients. Thus, drug-induced mucocutaneous side effects and skin fungal infections are the most common dermatological manifestations among renal transplant recipients living in a tropical country.

Adolescent↗

Unusual Microsporum canis infections in adult HIV patients.

Tinea capitis in men, even if infected with HIV, is infrequent. Microsporum species nail infections are extremely rare. In most cases Microsporum canis infection is usually easy to treat with antifungal agents. We describe two HIV-infected men with an unusual M. canis infection. Both patients had tinea capitis, presenting as alopecia in one and scaling of the scalp in the other. One patient also had tinea unguium caused by M. canis. Ketoconazole was ineffective in both patients; terbinafine was tried in one patient without benefit; itraconazole was effective in both, but treatment took many months and only one patient was cured.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Onychomycosis caused by Fusarium solani and Fusarium oxysporum in São Paulo, Brazil.

Fusarium species are common soil saprophytes and plant pathogens that have been frequently reported as etiologic agents of opportunistic infections in humans. We report eight cases of onychomycosis caused by Fusarium solani (4) and Fusarium oxysporum (4) in São Paulo, Brazil. These species were isolated from toenails in all cases. The infections were initially considered to be caused by dermatophytes. The clinical appearance of the affected toenails was leukonychia or distal subungual hyperkeratosis with yellowish brown coloration. The eight cases reported here suggest that Fusarium spp. should be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis of tinea unguium.

Adult↗