ABSTRACT
Background: Fungal nail infections are reported mostly among developing countries
Objective: To assess frequency of childhood nail fungal infection among cases of onychomycosis
Methodology: Study Design: Cross sectional study. Setting: 1st January 2012 to 31st December 2017. A total of 300 diagnosed cases of onychomycosis were included in this study. Study Setting: Department of dermatology and Department of Microbiology, Quaid-e-Azam Medical College Bahawalpur. Specimen was processed by 20% Potassium hydroxide [KOH] mount for the presence of hyphae or spores were considered as a positive test, and mycological culture was done by using Sabouraud's dextrose agar, for 4 weeks and pathogen was identified by colony characteristics and microscopy. Presences of intensely stained reddish dots or threads like structures in between the cells of nail plate were considered to be positive results on histopathology with periodic acid Schiff [PAS]
Results: Out of three hundredcases, 42 [14%] cases reveal fungal infection in children below 18 years of age. Candida albicans was most common fungal infection 18 out of 42 and Trichophyton Rubrum was found in 14 out of 42 cases
Conclusion: Onychomycosis in children was commonly observed in our population. The commonest pathogens were candida albicans, Trichophyton rubrum, and Aspergillus