Dermatophytoses in Iran

A total of 12,150 cases of suspected dermatophytoses in different areas of Iran were studied between 1986 and 1991. The age groups most commonly infected were 1-9 and 20-29 years. Clinical diagnosis was confirmed in only 9345 cases by laboratory examination. Of these positive samples, 1633 cases were found to be positive by direct microscopic observation only, 429 by culture only and 7283 by both techniques. Scalp ringworm of children was the most common type of tinea. But according to the rate of infection, tinea corporis, tinea pedis, tinea cruris, tinea manuum, tinea unguium and tinea barbae were the next most prevalent in that order. The frequencies of dermatophytes isolated from patients were as follows: Microsporum canis 19.4%, Trichophyton rubrum 16.5%, Epidermophyton floccosum 14.9%, Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. interdigitale 14.6%, Trichophyton verrucosum 11.5%, Trichophyton mentagrophytes 6%, Trichophyton violaceum 8.7%, Trichophyton schoenleinii 5.5%, Trichophyton tonsurans 1.3%, Trichophyton erinacei 0.8% and Microsporum gallinae 0.2%.