Dermatophytosis: An Epidemiological Study in a Tertiary Care Center in Rural Sind

Aims and Objects: Dermatophytosis is a common infection worldwide, and a major public health issue. Hot, humid climates and overcrowding favor the spread of skin infection in general populations. The purpose of the study is to analyze the prevalence of disease in patients attending the outpatient department of dermatology PUMHS-W Nawabshah.  Methodology: The study type is cross-sectional,  conducted at departments of Dermatology and Pathology, Peoples University of Medical and Health Sciences, Nawabshah, for 3 months, (June 1st, 2020 to August 31st, 2020) after written permission from ERC. A total of 93 cases were included. Skin scraping, nail clippings, hair fragments, and scalp, samples were acquired from patients approaching the Outpatient department. Wood /s lamp examination was carried out in all patients. By using 20% potassium hydroxide (KOH) on a glass slide with the sample and passing over the flame 2-3 times. After confirmation, the samples were streaked on the sterilized Sabouraud dextrose agar medium containing antibiotic, Petri plates were incubated at 25-28 °C for two weeks, all cases were directed towards the microscopic examination, and results were entered into SPSS 20 analyzed and tabulated. Results: Out of 93 suspects 84 (90.3%) samples were positive for fungal infection, and among them, 68 (73.1%) cases gave positive growth, Male predominance is noticed with 60%.Tinea corporis 45.6%is on the top of the list causing infection and T. unguium is the least common1.5%. The adult age group 20-40yrs were more affected followed by the middle-aged group. Conclusion: Dermatophytosis is common in the younger and adult age group, but it is prevalent in our general population irrespective of age and gender.