ABSTRACT
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, "-" ).