Muhammad Sabir, Saleem Ahmed Kharal, Shaihk Sajjad Ahmed, Amtul Hafiz, Samina Rizvi, Asif Ali Abbasi.
Etiology of Tinea Corporis in Karachi.
Ann Abbasi Shaheed Hosp Karachi Med Dent Coll Jan ;8(1):38-40.

Objective: To find out the demographic distribution and species of dermatophytes causing tinea corporis in Karachi, Pakistan. Design: Prospective study. Place And Duration: This study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Basic Medical Sciences Institute, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi from September 2000 to August, 2001. Subjects and Methods: Ninety-nine patients having skin infections (clinically suspected cases of tinea corporis) were examined. The skin scraping were taken from active border of the lesions and subjected to direct microscopy and culture on mycobiotic agar (Difco) for isolation of dermatophytes. Various special media were used for species identification. Results: Tinea corporis was generally predominantly seen in adult (74.8%) than in adolescent (14%) and children (11.1%). Out of 99 cases 53 (53.5%) were males and 46 (46.5%) were females. Tinea corporis was relatively more common in males. 48 strains were recovered out of these 29 (60.4%) strains of Trichophyton rubrum, 09 (18.7%) strains of Epidermophyton (floccosum), 08 strains of Trichophyton violaecum and two strains of Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Conclusion: Tinea corporis was relatively more common in males. Trichophyton rubrum was the most frequently isolated dermatophytes. Species identification is necessary to prevent spread of infection and choice of appropriate antifungal agent.

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