Epidemiology of dermatophytosis in patients referred to the medical mycology laboratory of Afzalipoor Faculty of Medicine in Kerman in 2007-2011

Dermatophytes are keratinophilic fungi that cause infection in the skin, hair and nails. Dermatophytic infections are one of the important health problems in the world that related to social and economic life of communities. This cross-sectional study was conducted on all suspected patients in the medical mycology laboratory of Afzalipoor Faculty in Kerman from March 2007 to March 2011. For each patient after obtaining the detailed history, direct smear, staining and culture on specific media were performed. Out of 1800 referred cases, 166 patients were positive for dermatophytosis. The highest prevalence of infection was in the under 10 years old (28.31%), men and women were also involved equally. The most common agents of the cutaneous infection were Trichophyton mentagrophytes (45.78%) and T. verrucosum (18.1%). The most common infections were tinea manuum (35.54%), tinea capitis (16.87), and the least common one was tinea faciei (4.82%). It is necessary to increase the level of community health in order to prevent this dermatophytosis.