Fungal infection as a cause of skin disease in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia: tinea corporis and tinea cruris.

In the period between April 1984 and April 1988 a total of 4,294 clinically suspected cases of dermatomycoses were examined for causative fungi. Of these cases 768 (17.9%) were suspected as tinea corporis (427 cases) and tinea cruris (341 cases). Twenty two different nationalities were represented. Both sexes were involved and the age range was 19 days to 70 years. Of the 768 patients examined, 738 (96.1%) had their diagnosis confirmed by direct microscopy and in 631 of these positive cases the etiology was determined. Of the 408 patients who had suffered from tinea corporis, 323 isolates were obtained from 313 culturally positive cases. Microsporum canis was the main etiologic agent followed by Trichophyton violaceum, T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum and Epidermophyton floccosum. Of the 330 patients who had suffered from tinea cruris, 388 isolates were obtained from 318 culturally positive cases and E. floccosum was the main etiologic agent. Next in frequencies were T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes while Candida albicans was isolated from 45 of 70 patients with mixed isolates. Treatment with topical antifungal agents was effective in most of the cases. Oral griseofulvin in addition to the topical application was found necessary in extensive widespread cases.