Korean J Dermatol.  1978 Feb;16(1):31-39.

Studies in Etiological Organisms of Mycotic Infection of the Feet : 1 . Dermatophytes infection of the feet

• Chun IK
• Kim KS
• Kim YP

Abstract

Dermatophytosis of the feet, i.e. tinea pedis, is one of the most frequent fungal infections and is caused by a dermatophyte. There are many predisposing factors to the disease such as living or environmental conditions; underlying endocrine or metabolic diseases, complicated individual immune mechanisms, long-term use of adrenocorticosteroids, antibiotics or other drugs and feet, per se, succeptable to infection of the organism by physio-anatomical condition. The authors performed clinical and mycological studies on 225 outpatients visiting the dermatological clinic of Chonnam University Hospital from April to September in 1977, who had clinical evidence of tinea pedis, dermatophytes infection of the feet. The incidence of tinea pedis was 8.9% of the whole 2531 out-patients who visited our clinic during that time. Of the 225 patients, the male patients were53%, the female patients 47%, and patients living in urban areas were affected about 2 times more frequently than those living in rural areas. The age distribution of the patients varied from 5 to 68 years old, but the most of them were in their third decade, at an actively working age. Concurreat infection with tinea pedis and other dermatophytosis was noted in 106 patients (47.1%). The patients with T. pedis and manus were most commonly observed, and the incidence of concurrent infection with T. pedis and T. manus was 31%;, T. cruris 19.8%, onychomycosis 17.0%, and with T. corporis 10.4% respectively. Id reaction or autoeczemation to the disease itself and inadequate or over treatment dermatitis developed in 19 patient*8.4%). It happened more in patients with tinea pedis alone than in thos with concurrent infection, but there was no difference between sexes. The positive rate of 10%. KOH mount was 59% in 173 preparations. The culture rate was about 7 times higher in the KOH positive group than in the negative group. Among the 39 strains of dermatophytes isolated by Sabouraud's dextrose agermedia from 111 patients and identified by 1% dextrose com meal agar media, bloo3 agar media and hair culture method, T. rubrum were 28 strains (71.l%) and T. mentagrophytes were 11 strains (28. 2%) The straivs of all noted hair perforation did not produce the pigmentation on 1% dextrose com meal agar media, and the strains which produced pigmentation on 1% dextrose com meal agar media did not perforate hair in hair culture. We cultured fungi from each lesion of 3 patients with concurrent infection of T.pedis, T.cruris, T.corporis, and dbtained T.rubrum only in all lesions of each patient. Upon making this observation, we presumed concurrent infection generally to be autoinoculation from one to another part.

MeSH Terms

Agar
Age Distribution
Aged
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Arthrodermataceae*
Causality
Dermatitis
Female
Foot*
Fungi
Glucose
Hair
Humans
Incidence
Jeollanam-do
Male
Meals
Metabolic Diseases
Onychomycosis
Outpatients
Pigmentation
Tinea
Tinea Pedis
Agar
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Glucose