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Superficial Fungal Infections

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Pigmented Ethnic Skin and Imported Dermatoses

Abstract

Fungal infections of the skin and nails are the most common and widespread group of all mycoses; they affect more than 20–25% of the world’s population [1]. The incidence of cutaneous mycoses continues to increase, particularly in tropical countries because of the heat and humidity, whereas the prevalence of the causative species of fungi involved has shifted or changed due to migration and changes in socioeconomic status and lifestyle [2]. People with colored skin, especially deeply pigmented or black-skinned populations, show high frequency of superficial mycosis, which may reach up to 41.9% of all dermatoses seen, as has been reported from West Africa [3]; they are frequently registered also in tourists and travelers. The clinical pictures can be subdivided into infections that induce minimal or no inflammatory response, e.g., pityriasis versicolor, tinea nigra, or piedra, and those that induce cutaneous inflammation such as cutaneous candidosis and tinea.

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Taha, M., Zaghloul, A.B. (2018). Superficial Fungal Infections. In: Orfanos, C., Zouboulis, C., Assaf, C. (eds) Pigmented Ethnic Skin and Imported Dermatoses. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69422-1_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69422-1_5

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