A clinical analysis of the predisposing factors for toenail onychomycosis in the elderly / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the susceptibility to toenail fungal infection (FI) in the elderly. Methods Two hundred patients with toenail FI aged 60 years or older from 2005 to 2007 in our hospital were collected in our study, including one hundred elderly patients with toenail fungal infection (case group) and one hundred elderly patients without toenail fungal infection (control group). The clinical data of the patients in two groups were analysed. Results In case group, diabetes mellitus was the most common complication, accounting for 24% (24/100), while there were only 6 cases with diabetes mellitus (6%) in control group (P<0. 05). In case versus control group, there were 31 cases vs 12 cases with lower extremity varicose vein (P<0. 05), and 36 cases vs 19 cases with foot deformity, 11 cases vs 3 cases with toenail onychomychosis following trauma of their toes (P<0.05) ,32 cases vs 12 cases with history of wearing tight shoes (P<0. 05). In case group, 12 of 47 female patients used to wear high-heel shoes. Conclusions Toenail trauma, foot malformation, lower extremity varicose vein and diabetes mellitus are predisposing factors for toenail onychomycosis in the elderly.