ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Dermatophytosis is usually caused by a contact of the skin with the infective particles in the environment. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the extent and severity of environmental contamination by dermatophytes. METHOD: In addition to physical examination on the residents of 46 families in a rural town in Kyungpook Province, clinical material and house dust samples were cultivated for dermatophytes. RESULTS: Among 114 persons from the 46 families, dermatophytosis was detected in 33 persons(28.9%). The most frequent clinical type was tinea pedis. Trichophyton rubrum and T. mentagrophytes were etiologic agents. In 22 families (47.8%), T. rubrum (16 families, 34.8%) and T. mentagrophytes (6 families, 13.0%) were isolated from the skin lesions. The remaining 24 families (52.2%) were free from dermatophytosis. T. rubrum was detected in the house dust samples from 40(86.9%) of the 46 families, with a density of 34.0 colonies/g, the highest among isolates.; T. mentagrophytes, from 32(69.6%); Microsporum canis, from 1(0.2%); 3(6.5%) were without any dermatophytes. T. rubrum was isolated from the house dust of 15(93.7%) out of 16 families having tinea patients infected with the same fungus, and T. mentagrophytes in 5(83.3%) out of 6. Each case was frequently detected together with other dermatophytes. T. mentagrophytes subtypes were isolated from house dust singly in 19(41.3%), and in twos and threes in 13(28.3%) of the 46 families. Even in the families of the patient(s) with the fungus, the subtypes were not always identical with those from house dust. In a mating study with a total of 210 strains of T. mentagrophytes, 130 out of 136 (including 6 indeterminate) strains of granulosum-asteroides form turned out to be Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii " - ". But all the 70 strains of the powdery, persicolor and downy forms that showed strong sexual stimulation by tester strains, were "+". CONCLUSION: House dust was extensively and markedly contaminated by dermatophytes in a rural town. Further study is needed to evaluate the distribution of mating types of the members of T. mentagrophytes complex in a clinical setting.
Subject(s)
Humans , Arthrodermataceae , Dust , Fungi , Microsporum , Physical Examination , Skin , Tinea , Tinea Pedis , TrichophytonABSTRACT
To survey the seroprevalence of hepatit!s B virus(HBV) in relation to serologic tests for syphilis(STS), using VDRL and TPHA test, the tests were done in the seri of 1252 institutionalized persons, who lived in Taegu Hope Village for the poor or crippled, and 1831 controls, who had the regular routine physical examination from March to May, 1987. The positive rates nf HBsAg and anti-HBs were 11.7%(146) and 27.0%(338'). compared with 6.25%(ll) and 18.4%(337) in controls, respectively. The prevalence of HBV including HBsAg and anti-HBs was higher in institutionalized persons (38,7+i) than in controls(24.6%)(p<0.0001). The positive rate of STS was higher in institutionalized persons(7.5%) than in controls(2.9%)(p<0.0001). There was a tvend for a higher rate of seropositivity in women than in men of institution- alized persons in the both diseases. The prevalence of HBV among STS-positive cases wa.s 42.6%(40) of instituti- onalized persons and 26.4%(14) of controls, but not, statistically significant, the gre,ater part of them distributing in 4th and 5th decades. The positive rates of I-tBi.Ag in institutionalized persons was 45.5%(5) of STS-positive cases and 25. 9%,'35) of STS-negative cases. No correlation was found between the serologic ma kers of HBV and VDRL titration.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Hepatitis B Surface Antigens , Hepatitis B virus , Hepatitis B , Hepatitis , Hope , Institutionalization , Physical Examination , Prevalence , Seroepidemiologic Studies , Serologic Tests , SyphilisABSTRACT
These clinical and mycological observations were made on 898 cases of tinea facisle diagnosed by the clinical findings and KOH exsmination among the 137,197 out-patients exsmined for five years from Jaunary 1981 to December 1985 at Chilgok Catholic Skin Clinic, Taegu, Korea. Following results were obtained: 1. The annual number of patients with tinea faciale was 159(0.75% of the total outpatients) in 1981, 174(0.56%) in 1982, 181(0.67%) in 1983, 181(0.67%) in 1984,and 203 (0.83%) in 1985. 2. Of the 898 patients, male patients numbered 395 and female 503. Although the age distribution of patients was highest under age 14 in both sexes, males outnumbered females slightly before age 19 and, as age advanced, female predominance became more marked. 3. Of the 898 patients, 7Z6 organisms composed of 5 species were isolated. The species isolated were in the order of decreasing frequency, Trichophyton(T.) mentagrophytea (296,40.8%), Microsporum(M.) canis (218,30.0%), T. rubrum (189,26.0%), M. gypseam (21,2.9%), and Epidermophyton floccosum (2,0.3%). 4. M. canis was the chief cause of tinea faciale in children under 14. The infection due to T. mentagrophytes and M. canis outnumbered T, rubrum markedly in the young age group before 14, but T. rubrum predominated in the middle age group from 20 to 29. In the old age group after 40, T. mentagrophytes reappeared as a major cause of the disease. 5. T. mentagrophytes predominated in rural area and M. cania in urban area but no sexual variation was found. T. rubrum and M. gypseum prevailed slightly more in urban areas than in rural areas. 6. Eczematous annular ringworm (without central clearing) types were seen most frequently in the cases cssed by T. menagrophytes and clsssic ringworm types were seen most frequently in the cases caused by M. cania 7. Coexistent fungal infections were chiefly T. corporis in the csses of T. mentagrophytes and M. canis, but T. pedis and T. unguium in the cases of T. rubrum. 8. As a result of mating studies, 177 strsins of T. mentagrophytes proved to be Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii (51 of the "+" mating type and 126 of the "-"mating type), 12 strains of M. gypseum proved to be Nannizzia(N) incurvata (4, "-" and 8,"-") and 4 proved to be N. gypsea (2, "+" and 2, "-" ).
Subject(s)
Child , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Age Distribution , Arthrodermataceae , Epidermophyton , Korea , Outpatients , Skin , TineaABSTRACT
We herein report a case a demodicidosis, which is extremely rare in early childhood, in a 19 month old boy. He had been admitted to the department of plastic surgery for 20 days because of burn on both legs. During admission, he hadn't had his face washed at all. He was referred to our department due to progressively appearing, multiple, pinhead sized, dry scaling, erythematous papules on the face of 13 days duration. KOH mounts from the scaly papules revealed numerous hair follicule mites. We treated him with topical application of 25% benzoy1 peroxide gel to see complete clearing of the lesions in 32 days. We think that prolonged ret.ention of sebum in the unwashed skin, such as in our case, may predispose to the poliferation of the hair follicule mites.
Subject(s)
Humans , Infant , Male , Burns , Hair , Leg , Mites , Sebum , Skin , Surgery, PlasticABSTRACT
Acquired digital fibrokeratomas are uncommon, benign, acquired, firm, more or less hyperkeratotic projections, arising most frequently from the fingers but rarely from the nail beds. We experienced a case of acquired digital fibrokeratoma arising from the nail bed of the left 4th toe in a 20-year-old female.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Young Adult , Fingers , ToesABSTRACT
Generalized granuloma annulare is manifested by numerous, symrnetrical, shiny, normal-skin colored, discrete or confluent, papular eruption on the sunexposed areas, mostly in females of past middle age. Up to date, a variety of therapeutic approaches have been tried with inconsistent results. Recently several agents have been reported to be inconsistent results. Recently several agents have reported to be effective in the treatment of genealizecl granuloma annulare. Of these, dapsone has been used with favorable respones. The fact dapsone can inhibit the lysosomal enzyme release and the mononuclear cell-rnediated rnyeloperoxidase cytotaxicity would account for its effect in granuloma annulare even in part. We observed a case of generalized granulare in a 49-year old man, who had had numerous normal-skin colored or faintly violaceous, flattopped papular eruption on the sun-exposed areas for 3 years. He was treated successfully with dapsone 100mg a day for about 22 months.