Distribution of Dermatophytosis According to Age, Ethnic Group and Sex

Abstract

Six hundred and two cases of dermatophytosis were analyzed according to age, anatomical distribution, ethnic group and sex. 91"5% of the children were Negroid whereas 70.3% of the adults were Caucasoids. 92.9% of all cases were caused by the anthropophilic dermatophytes. Microsporum audouinii caused 53. 1% of the infections in children and Trichophyton rubrum was the causative organism in 78.5% of the adult cases. The following statistically significant differences were found in Negroid children: tinea capitis was more frequent in boys than in girls; tinea corporis occurred more frequently in girls than in boys; and M. audouinii and T. tonsurans var. sulfureurm infections were more frequent in boys than in girls. Lymphadenopathy was observed in 57.1% of the Negroid girls and 36.4% of the boys. Kerion formation was equally distributed between girls and boys and occurred in 17% of the scalp infections. Dermatophytids were found in 4.1% of the Negroid children. The following significant differences were found in adults: scalp infections occurred in Negroids only; fingernail infections occurred more often in Caucasoids than Negroids and more frequently in females than in males; groin infections occurred with a higher frequency in males than in females; toenails were more frequently infected in Caucasoids than in Negroids and in males than in females. The number of lesions per patient was higher in Caucasoids than Negroids and males had more lesions than females. Dermatophytids were found in 6.1% of the adults.