Isolation and Identification of Dermatophytes Causing Dermatophytosis in Hilla City, Iraq Hindy Nibras AA1,*, Abiess Abed-Ali A2 1Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Al-Imam Al-Sadiq Teaching Hospital, Hilla, Iraq 2Department of Pathological Analysis Technique, Al-Mustagbal University Collage, Hilla, Iraq *Corresponding Author: Nibras AA Hindy, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Al-Imam Al-Sadiq Teaching Hospital, Hilla, Iraq, Email: abedalialammar@yahoo.com
Online published on 23 December, 2019. Abstract Background Dermatophytes are a group of closely related keratinophilic and keratinolytic filamentous fungi, which are most commonly of the Trichophyton genus and less commonly of the Microsporum or Epidermophyton genera. Cutaneous fungal infection is divided into superficial and deep mycosis. Superficial infection is limited to the stratum corneum affecting the skin (Tinea corporis, Tinea cruris, Tinea pedis), hair (Tinea capitis), beard (Tinea barbae), nails (onychomycosis or Tinea unguium). The purpose of this study was to determine the dermatophyte species causing superficial fungal infections among patients attending dermatology out-patient clinic in Al-Imam Al-Sadiq Teaching Hospital of Hilla city, Babylon Province, Iraq during the period from June 2017 to May 2018. Method One hundred and twenty nine samples were examined by 10% KOH and cultured on Sabouraud's dextrose agar with cyclohexamide and chloramphenicol to identify the dermatophytes species. All skin, hair and nail samples from clinically suspected cases of dermatophytosis were included in the study. Results Data from current study showed that 74 females and 55 males were considered as the total number of patients selected. Dermatophytes were isolated from 95 out of the 129 patients included in this study. The isolated Dermatophytes included predominantly Trichophytone species [T. rubrum 19(20%), T. verrucosum 11(11.57%) and T. violaceum 11(11.57%)] followed by Microsporum species [M.gypseum 10(10.52%), M.canis 7(7.36%) and M.nanum 6(6.31%)], all rated from high to low incidence. Tinea unguium was the most common 31(32.63%) clinical type of dermatophytosis encountered in our study, as compared to other types like tinea pedis 23(24.21%), tinea capitis 20(21.05%), tinea mannum 13(13.68%), tinea barbae 5(5.26%)and tinea corporis 3(3.15%). The study also showed that the incidence of Dermatophytosis was higher in females with 61(64.21%) cases as compared to males with 34(35.79%) cases. Conclusion Dermatophytosis is a major public health problem in tropical and subtropical countries, like Iraq, yet remains unresolved. Most common fungal speices isolated were Trichophyton species. Top Keywords Dermatophytes, Dermatophytosis, Tinea, Trichophyton, 10% KOH. Top |