ABSTRACT

Superficial fungal infections are among the world’s most common diseases and the distribution of etiological agents varies in different countries and geographic areas.

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of etiological agents of superficial mycoses encountered in outpatients attended to Dermatology Department of Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul.

Clinical samples were collected from 2125 patients over a period of four years and examined by direct microscopy and culture.

Isolated fungi were identified by classical mycology methods. Pathogen fungi (n= 643) were detected in 623 of the patients. Of the isolates were 206 (32.0%) Candida spp, 308 (47.9%) dermatophytes, 3 (0.5%) Malassezia spp and 126 (19.6%) other keratinophylic fungi, 18 (2.8%) Fusarium, 106 (16.5%) Trichosporon spp, 2 (0.3%) Phoma spp. Two different significant fungi were cultured from samples of 20 (3.2%) patients. T. rubrum was the most frequent isolate (n=135, 21.0%) and toenail onychomycosis was the most common type of infection (n=294, 47.2%).

The most common agents isolated were Trichophyton species, being Candida spp the second prevalent. Non dermatophyte molds were cultured as agents of onychomycosis. Epidemiological surveys will be a usefull tool for the awareness of emerging species and infection control.