Prevalence of dermatophytes and other fungal agents isolated from clinical samples.

ABSTRACT

The common cause of skin infections are dermatophytes and opportunistic fungi. Aim of this study was to isolate and identify the fungal agents from clinical samples from patients with different mycoses. Clinical samples from 165 patients were subjected to potassium hydroxide (KOH) examination and culture isolation; causative agents were identified macroscopically and microscopically. All the 165 specimens were KOH positive and 110/165 (66.7%) samples were culture positive. Of these, highest isolation rate was obtained in opportunistic mycoses such as candidiasis (29/29, 100%). Dermatophytes were isolated in 53/80 (66.3%) specimens and Trichophyton rubrum was the commonest isolate in skin samples (17/24) among the patients suffering from dermatophytosis. Phaeoannellomyces wernecki was isolated in a patient suffering from tinea nigra. The study signifies the importance of mycological examination in the diagnosis of various mycoses for their effective management.