ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: It has been well known that patients with diabetes mellitus are prone to cutaneous infections, but whether superficial mycoses are truly more prevalent in diabetic patients is still controversial. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the true prevalence of superficial mycoses in diabetic patients as comparing with non-diabetic, non-immunocompromised individuals. METHODS: We examined for evidence of superficial fungal disease in 137 diabetic patients and compared it with 146 non-diabetic non-immunocompromised ones. Potassium hydroxide preparations and fungus cultures were performed from all suspected lesions. RESULTS: Superficial mycoses were more common in diabetic patients(50%) than controls(31%) (p=0.0004), especially in the age group of 4th and 5th decades9p=0.011). The duration of diabetes mallitus or blood sugar levels were not significantly correlated with the prevalence of superficial mycoses.The organism most commonly isolated was Trichophyton rubrum in both groups(53% vs 79%) and Candida albicans was more prevalent in diabetic patients(34% vs 7%). More than 2 kinds of superficial mycoses were mose common in diabetic patients than controls(38% vs 16%). CONCLUSION: This study shows that the prevalence rate of superficial mycoses in diabetic patients is higher than that in controls and the in controls and the duration of diabetes mellitus or blood sugar levels were not significantly correlated with it.