Species distribution of the main aetiologic agents causing skin dermatophytosis in Colombian patients: A 23-year experience at a Mycological Reference Center.

BACKGROUND

Dermatophytosis is one of the most frequent superficial mycoses in the world.

MAIN AIM

To describe the cases of skin dermatophytosis and its main aetiologic agents in patients referred to a Mycological Reference Laboratory in Medellín, Colombia.

METHODS

A retrospective study was carried out with records of patients referred between 1994 and 2016 to the Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB), Medellín-Colombia, because of clinical suspicion of skin dermatophytosis.

RESULTS

Of a total of 5628 clinical records of patients with suspicion of skin dermatophytosis analysed, 2780 (49.4%) had a proven or probable dermatophytosis diagnosis, 2774 cultures were performed, and aetiologic agents were isolated in 2576 samples (92.9%). The most frequently isolated aetiologic agents were Trichophyton rubrum (44.3%), followed by Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex (33.3%), Epidermophyton floccosum (12.4%), Nannizzia gypseum complex (5.7%, formerly Microsporum gypseum), Microsporum canis (3.5%) and Trichophyton tonsurans (0.8%). The most frequent clinical forms were tinea pedis (72.7%) and tinea corporis (12.7%). In addition, a group of patients (0.9%) developed mixed infections by two dermatophyte agents and another (4.1%) developed infections in more than one anatomical site.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the present study are coherent with previous reports where T rubrum and T mentagrophytes complex were the main causative agents of dermatophytosis. However, the increased incidence of N gypsea complex over M canis is worth highlighting.