Mycetomas in Madras

In 90 of 150 cases clinically diagnosed as mycetoma in the Department of Pathology, Madras Medical College, from January 1964 to June 1975, histopathological study revealed granules. Besides special staining procedures, cultural methods were undertaken in recent cases. The age and sex incidence, site of lesion and the species of fungi identified on the basis of histological morphology of the granules are analysed. The disease was predominatly seen in the age group 21-40. Men were more frequently affected than women and the commonest site of the lesion was foot. Actinomycotic mycetoma (68-9%) was more often found than the maduromycotic type. Madurella mycetomi (37-8%) and Actinomadura madurae (26-7%) were the commonest causal agents. Nocardia spp. were the next most common (21-1%) followed by A. pelletieri (15-5%), S. somaliensis (5-6%) and presumably Allescheria/Cephalosporium spp. from only 3 cases of white grain mycetoma.