[Clinico-mycological study of dermatomycoses caused by Microsporon gypseum. Presentation of 29 cases observed in Galicia (Spain)]

Review of dermatophytoses in Galicia from 1951 to 1987, and comparison with other areas of Spain

We have reviewed all the dermatophytoses diagnosed in Galicia during four consecutive 9-year periods 1951-86 and 1987. From 4571 patients, we isolated 3351 fungal strains belonging, in decreasing order of frequency, to the following dermatophyte species: Microsporum canis (25.5%), Trichophyton rubrum (24.6%), T. mentagrophytes (21.4%), Epidermophyton floccosum (11.8%), M. gypseum (5.2%), T. tonsurans (3.9%), T. verrucosum (3.1%), T. schoenlenii (2.5%), T. violaceum (1.2%), T. mengninii (0.3%), M. audouinii (0.2%), T. equinum (0.1%) and T. soudanense (0.1%). Tinea capitis has diminished in frequency since 1951, though there was been a slight increase since 1978; M. canis has always been the most common agent, and between 1951 and 1959 T. schoenleinii was also very frequent but is no longer found. The frequency of tinea corporis, on the other hand, has experienced a considerable increase. Its most common causal agents in the last few years have been T. mentagrophytes, M. canis and T. rubrum. Until 1977 the most common tinea cruris dermatophyte was E. floccosum, but since then it has been T. rubrum. The commonest tinea pedis dermatophytes have been T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes. Tinea unguium and tinea barbae have been the most frequent dermatophytoses, and their commonest causal agents T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes respectively. We have documented the distribution of the various causal agents by location of the lesions, age and source of the patients (private or National Health Service patients), and we have compared the results with those obtained in other regions of Spain.

[Tinea unguis caused by Nannizzia gypsea (+)]

We describe a case of tinea unguis in a 20 year old female student from Caracas. The peri-ungual skin of a thumb appeared altered first and, since 6 months, the lamina was being progressively invaded and destroyed. At the direct mycologic examination numerous, regular and irregular, hyaline fungal hyphae were visible. Culture was performed 9 times: several molds did grow, among which, eight times, we got numerous colonies of a strain that has been identified to Nannizzia gypsea (+). Owing to the rarity of the observation the bases for the diagnosis are discussed and the pertinent literature is reviewed.

Epidemiologic study of dermatophytoses in Salamanca (Spain)

An epidemiologic study of the dermatophytoses in Salamanca (Spain) from 1973 to 1976 was performed. Dermatophyte species were identified in 224 patients with clinical tinea infections; 31 bovines, 18 rodents and 70 soil samples. The prevalence of Trichophyton verrucosum and Epidermophyton floccosum was strikingly high in relation to other statistics. The most common clinical forms were tinea corporis and tinea cruris. Tinea capitis by anthropophilic species was uncommon.