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Dermatophyte Infections in Cairo, Egypt

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Abstract

In this study, we examined dermatophyte infections in patients referred to the Department of Dermatology, EL-Houd El-Marsoud Hospital, Cairo, during March 2004 to June 2005. Of 506 patients enrolled in this investigation, 403 (79.6%) were clinically diagnosed as having dermatophytoses (age range 6–70 years; males 240; females 163). Species identification determined by observation of their macroscopic and microscopic characteristics was complemented with sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA region. The most common dermatophyte infection diagnosed was tinea capitis (76.4%), followed by tinea corporis (22.3%) and tinea unguium (1.2%). The most frequently isolated dermatophyte species was Trichophyton violaceum, which accounted for most (71.1%) of all the recovered dermatophytes, followed by Microsporum canis (21.09%), Trichophyton rubrum (6.2%), and Microsporum boullardii (0.49%); both Epidermophyton floccosum and Trichophyton tonsurans were each only rarely isolated (0.24%).

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Acknowledgment

This study was supported by a Grant from the Ministry of Higher Education, Egyptian Government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia 11566, Cairo, Egypt

    S. M. Zaki, N. Ibrahim, Y. M. Shetaia & K. Abdel-Ghany

  2. Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan

    K. Aoyama & Y. Mikami

Authors
  1. S. M. Zaki
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  2. N. Ibrahim
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  3. K. Aoyama
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  4. Y. M. Shetaia
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  5. K. Abdel-Ghany
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  6. Y. Mikami
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Correspondence to S. M. Zaki.

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Zaki, S.M., Ibrahim, N., Aoyama, K. et al. Dermatophyte Infections in Cairo, Egypt. Mycopathologia 167, 133–137 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-008-9165-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-008-9165-5

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