ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: In this paper, we reported three distinct cases of tinea, including tenia ungulum, tenia pedis, and tenia cruris caused by the infection of Nannizzia nana in the immunocompetent patients who were also the residents of Guatemala. Dermatophytes were identified phenotypically and genotypically. Thereafter, DNA was extracted from the fungal isolates and a fragment of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region was amplified and sequenced. The direct visual examination revealed the presence of fungal hyphae and arthroconidia. These characteristic morphological features resembled with the general features of the species, Nannizzia nana. Furthermore, nucleotide sequences that were amplified from the fungal isolates, confirmed the species identification. Thereafter, all the patients were treated with Terbinafine (250mg) through oral route for two weeks, except the patient with onychomycosis, who received the same treatment but for an extended period of three months. All the patients showed complete recovery from dermatophytosis. This study contributes to a better understanding of the epidemiology of human infections that are caused by dermatophytes, often misdiagnosed. Dermatophytes are currently less known but are now being more frequently identified due to the improvements in the diagnostic techniques.
