Study of onychomycosis in India.

Fungal agents causing onychomycosis in an Indian population were studied in a hospital based study. It revealed that onychomycosis is more common in adult males, and that finger nails were more often affected compared with toe nails. Occupation did not seem to be related to infection. Trichophyton rubrum was the commonest fungus isolated (49.3%) followed by Candida species (23.2%). Four morphological varieties of Tr. rubrum colonies were observed but the role of a particular variety in causing chronic infection could not be ascertained.