Dermatophytes invade and destroy keratinized tissues of the skin, hairs and nails by keratinase. They are classified in 3 anamorphic genera, Epidermophyton, Microspoorum and Trichophyon, depending on their macroconidial characteristics. They have characteristic morphology of macroconidia and microconidia, and arrangement of microconidia. Dermatophytes can be divided into 3 groups, anthropophilic, zoophilic and geophilic, depending on their natural habits. By hair invasion behaviors, they can be divided into endothrix and ectothrix, and have different patters under Wood lamp illumiantion. Growth characteristics of fungi are important on identification. Important features of fungal colonies are growth rate at 25 ~30, color, topography, texture and pattern of colony folding. Nine species of dermatophytes have been identified in Korea and their chatracteristics were reviewed.
Arthrodermataceae* ; Epidermophyton ; Fungi ; Hair ; Korea ; Skin ; Wood

Dermatophytes are keratinophilic fungi responsible for superficial infections called dermatophytoses and composed of three anamorphic genera, Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton. The identification of these species by mycological methods is sometimes difficult and time-consuming. Moreover, suitable methods for subtyping of these species are not established yet. Therefore, several approaches using molecular biological methods have been proposed to identify dermatophyte species and to clearly define their taxonomic and phylogenetic relationship to the teleomorphs and to other dermatophyte species. For identification, distinction among isolates to the species level was easily performed using molecular biological methods, particularly for atypical isolates. In contrast, in all but a few cases, distinction between dermatophyte strains failed. The development of new techniques to reveal molecular polymorphisms in dermatophytes is required.
Arthrodermataceae* ; Epidermophyton ; Fungi ; Microsporum ; Molecular Biology ; Tinea ; Trichophyton

Onychomycosis is one of the most common diseases of the nails caused by dermatophytes, yeasts, and non-dermatophytic molds. Among the onychomycosis, tinea unguium occurred by dermatophytes such as Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Epidermophyton floccosum. Treatment options of onychomycosis include oral and topical antifungal agents, surgery or a combination therapy of theses modalities. The complete remission of onychomycosis requires long-term treatment with systemic and topical antifungal agents and recurrences and re-infections are common. In this review, we provide insights on the topical antifungal agents in onychomycosis and introduce new topical antifungal agents.
Antifungal Agents ; Arthrodermataceae ; Epidermophyton ; Fungi ; Onychomycosis* ; Recurrence ; Trichophyton ; Yeasts

Exogenoue exposurea to pathogenic fungi have been suggested as causes of acute atta.eks of tinea pedis. Psthogenic fungi is rarely present on the skin aurfaces without cauaing definite and characteristic reactions. However, it was suspected by eome observers that pathogenic fungi might be more or liesa normal inhabitant of the human skin. Alterations in host susceptibility and loss, of local immunity are more to blame than new exposure to exogenous micro-ganisms. To determine this point, fungal culture was done from the fourth toe web of 824 high school students. The results of the study were summarized as follows,' l. Among 824 cases, 780 cases(94.7%) had grossly normal appearing toe web and 44 cases(5,3%) were suspected superficial fungal infection. 2. Positive rate of KOH examination was 4.6%(36,'780) in normal toe web and 45.4%(20/44) in dermatophytic lesion. 3, The positive rate of fungal culture from normal and infected toe web are 7.9 %(62/780) a.nd 40.9%(18/44), respectively. In the normal toe web, Trichophyton rubrum(66.1%), T, entagrophytea(include T. interdigitaLe) and Epidermophyton, floccosum(3.2%) were isolated. In the dermatophytic lesion, T. rubrurn(88.8%) and T. me ntagrophytes(11.2% ) w ere isolated. Although toe webs do not present clinical symptoms and signs, pathogenic fungi as a normal inhabitant can be isolated from clinically normal toe webs. Some of these cases, therefore, will develope to tinea pedis in time.
Epidermophyton ; Fungi ; Humans ; Skin ; Tinea Pedis ; Toes* ; Trichophyton

Itraconazole is the first orally active triazole antifungal agent. Authors performed multicenter trials to evaluate the therapeutic effect of itraconazole in dermatophytoses. During 6 months from September, 1988 to February, 1989, 246 patients with dermatophytoses were included in this study. 74 of these cases lost to follow-up and 3 cases developed drug eruption were excluded from analysis of therapeutic efficacy. Duration of therapy were 4 weeks in tinea pedis and tinea manus, and 2 weeks in tinea cruris and tinea corporis. The obtained results were as follows : 1. The everall cure rate of itraconazole in dermatophytoses were 81.3%, and the cure rate in each dermatophytosis were 80.3% in tinea pedis, 100.0% in tines manus, 85.3% in tinea cruris and 68.6% in tinea corporis. 2. The cure rate at two weeks after completion of the therapy(81.3%) was higher than that at the end of the therapy(74.3%). 3. Trichophyton rubrum(70.0%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes(81.3%), Microsporum canis(7.3%) and Epidermophyton floccosum(0.9%) were isolated from 110 cases among the enrolled patients. 4. Seven of the 190 patients experienced adverse effects of the treatment: abdominal discomfort(one); nusea(one); constipation(two); and drug eruption(three). Therefore we impressed that itraconazole is an effective and safe new oral therapeutic: agent for dermatophytoses.
Drug Eruptions ; Epidermophyton ; Humans ; Itraconazole* ; Lost to Follow-Up ; Microsporum ; Tinea Pedis ; Tinea* ; Trichophyton

BACKGROUND: Tinea faciale is a dermatophyte infection of glabrous skin of the face except bearded areas of the adult male. Tinea faciale usually has been classified as tinea corporis but recently recognized as a separate disease entity. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the correlation of clinical and mycological features of tinea faciale. METHODS: We performed clinical and mycological study on 46 cases of tinea faciale at the department of dermatology, Konkuk University Hospital from September 2001 to August 2004. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS: 1. The age distribution of patients was highest in the age group of 10 years or under (34.8%). The ratio of male to female patient was 1: 1.4. The seasonal distribution of patients was highest in autumn. 2. Among 46 cases, dermatophytes were isolated in 37 cases. They were Trichophyton (T.) rubrum (19 cases), Microsporum (M.) canis (9 cases), T. mentagrophytes (6 cases), M. gypseum (2 cases), and Epidermophyton (E.) floccosum (1 case). 3. Although there was no notable discrepancies among the age groups, in both T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes. M. canis was found to be more frequent as the main causative organism in the age group of 10 years or under. According to seasonal variation, there were no significant differences among T. rubrum species. M. canis was seen more frequently during winter season, and T. mentagrophytes in spring. 4. There were no significant difference in clinical variations of tinea faciale according to the type of dermatophytes. Coexisting fungal infections were found in 10 patients and tinia corporis was most frequently.
Adult ; Age Distribution ; Arthrodermataceae ; Dermatology ; Epidermophyton ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microsporum ; Seasons ; Skin ; Tinea* ; Trichophyton

BACKGROUND: There have been many studies about concurrent infection with tinea cruris and tinea pedis as a part of dermatophytosis in Korea. However, few studies have been reported about actual percentage regarding the frequency of tinea pedis in patients with tinea cruris and comparison of the causative organisms in the groin and foot. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency of tinea pedis in patients with tinea cruris and the causative organisms in the groin and foot. METHODS: We examined clinical characteristics, frequency of tinea cruris, and causative organism on one hundred and eight nine cases with tinea cruris at the department of dermatology, Dongguk University Hospital from September 2000 to August 2005. RESULTS: The ratio of male to female patients was 10.8:1. Besides most of them were between the twenties and forties. Most (74.6%) of them involved both sites of the groin. Duration of tinea cruris was the most common within one year. The frequency of tinea pedis in patients with tinea cruris was 85.7%. Most of them (69.1%), duration of tinea pedis was longer than that of tinea cruris. One hundred and thirty nine dermatophytes were isolated from 189 patients with tinea cruris. They were Trichophyton(T.) rubrum (89.2%), T. mentagrophytes (7.2%), and Epidermophyton floccosum (3.6%). Of one hundred and sixty two patients with both tinea cruris and tinea pedis, 52 patients (32.1%) had same species and only four patients (2.5%) had different species in the groin and foot. CONCLUSION: Because of the high incidence of concurrent infection with tinea cruris and tinea pedis, we suggest the need of a careful mycological examination for foot in patients with tinea cruris.
Arthrodermataceae ; Dermatology ; Epidermophyton ; Female ; Foot ; Groin ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Tinea Pedis* ; Tinea*

BACKGROUND: The incidence and causative dermatophytes of tinea cruris has been changed with time. Although clinical and mycologic studies of whole dermatophytosis have been reported many times, there have been only a few studies about tinea cruris reported. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate clinical and mycological features of tinea cruuis. METHODS: We evaluated the clinical and mycologic aspects of tinea cruris in 598 patients with tinea cruris from January 1985 to December 1997 in Yeungnam University Hospital. RESULTS: The incidence of tinea cruris was 20.8% of 2,878 total dermatophytoses. The ratio of male to female patients was 23.9:1. And most of them were in their twenties and thirties. Most(82.1%) of them involved both sites of the groin. Concurrent dermatophytic infections of tinea cruris were noted in 29.4% of the cases and the most common one was tinea pedis(22.4%). Three hundred and thirty eight dermatophytes were isolated from 598 patients with tinea cruris. They were Trichophyton(T.) rubrum(95.3%), T. mentagrophytes(4.4%), Epidermophyton floccosum(1.2%), Microsporum canis(0.9%). CONCLUSION: Tinea cruris is a male predominant dermatophytosis, the most common causative organism is T. rubrum, and tinea pedis seems to be an important reservoir.
Arthrodermataceae ; Epidermophyton ; Female ; Groin ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Microsporum ; Tinea Pedis ; Tinea*

These clinical and mycological observations were made on 898 cases of tinea facisle diagnosed by the clinical findings and KOH exsmination among the 137,197 out-patients exsmined for five years from Jaunary 1981 to December 1985 at Chilgok Catholic Skin Clinic, Taegu, Korea. Following results were obtained: 1. The annual number of patients with tinea faciale was 159(0.75% of the total outpatients) in 1981, 174(0.56%) in 1982, 181(0.67%) in 1983, 181(0.67%) in 1984,and 203 (0.83%) in 1985. 2. Of the 898 patients, male patients numbered 395 and female 503. Although the age distribution of patients was highest under age 14 in both sexes, males outnumbered females slightly before age 19 and, as age advanced, female predominance became more marked. 3. Of the 898 patients, 7Z6 organisms composed of 5 species were isolated. The species isolated were in the order of decreasing frequency, Trichophyton(T.) mentagrophytea (296,40.8%), Microsporum(M.) canis (218,30.0%), T. rubrum (189,26.0%), M. gypseam (21,2.9%), and Epidermophyton floccosum (2,0.3%). 4. M. canis was the chief cause of tinea faciale in children under 14. The infection due to T. mentagrophytes and M. canis outnumbered T, rubrum markedly in the young age group before 14, but T. rubrum predominated in the middle age group from 20 to 29. In the old age group after 40, T. mentagrophytes reappeared as a major cause of the disease. 5. T. mentagrophytes predominated in rural area and M. cania in urban area but no sexual variation was found. T. rubrum and M. gypseum prevailed slightly more in urban areas than in rural areas. 6. Eczematous annular ringworm (without central clearing) types were seen most frequently in the cases cssed by T. menagrophytes and clsssic ringworm types were seen most frequently in the cases caused by M. cania 7. Coexistent fungal infections were chiefly T. corporis in the csses of T. mentagrophytes and M. canis, but T. pedis and T. unguium in the cases of T. rubrum. 8. As a result of mating studies, 177 strsins of T. mentagrophytes proved to be Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii (51 of the "+" mating type and 126 of the "-"mating type), 12 strains of M. gypseum proved to be Nannizzia(N) incurvata (4, "-" and 8,"-") and 4 proved to be N. gypsea (2, "+" and 2, "-" ).
Age Distribution ; Arthrodermataceae ; Child ; Daegu ; Epidermophyton ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Outpatients ; Skin ; Tinea*

BACKGROUND: Superficial fungal disease is one of the most common human infectious diseases. A recent clinical survey reported that more than half of patients with superficial fungal diseases might be infected at home. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation of the fungal infection between the patients and their family members. METHODS: Dermatologists of 71 general hospitals were involved and evaluated 7,323 patients and 1,037 their family members who were confirmed microscopically to have superficial fungal diseases. RESULTS: According to the survey results, 46.1% of the patients answered they might have been infected at home and 33.6% of the patients remembered there were other fungus-infected patients among their family members at the same time. The isolated organisms were Trichophyton rubrum (1686 cases, 80.9%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (269 cases, 12.9%), Candida albicans (112 cases, 5.4%), Microsporum canis (12 cases, 0.6%), Trichophyton tonsurans (3 cases, 0.1%), Epidermophyton floccosum (2 cases, 0.1%). On the basis of the fungus culture, it was proven that 85.4% of the patients and their family members had the same kind of microorganism. CONCLUSION: As a result, we could conclude that there is a high possibility of transmitting the fungal infection from one family member to another.
Candida albicans ; Communicable Diseases ; Epidemiology* ; Epidermophyton ; Fungi ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Korea* ; Microsporum ; Trichophyton