TITLE:
Pattern of Dermatophytes Isolated in the Medical Microbiology Laboratory of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State, Nigeria
AUTHORS:
Kennedy T. Wariso, Jeremiah A. Igunma, Ibinabo L. Oboro
KEYWORDS:
Dermatophytes, Port Harcourt, Out-Patients, Tinea
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Microbiology,
Vol.5 No.5,
May
18,
2015
ABSTRACT: Dermatophytoses
are the most common dermatological conditions but they are however not life
threatening or debilitating hence medical care is sought usually due to
aesthetic reasons and chronicity of the lesions despite several
self-medications. The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution
pattern of dermatophytes isolated in the medical microbiology laboratory of
University of Port Harcourt teaching hospital (UPTH). This is a 5-year desk
review of the Dermatophytes isolated in the medical microbiology laboratory of
UPTH. Relevant Patients’ data were retrieved and analyzed. A total of seventy
(70) dermatophytes were isolated over the five-year period as follows: Trichophyton species accounted for 55 (79%), Epidermophyton species were 8 (11%)
and Microsporum species 7 (10%). The
peak age range of patients from which dermatophytes were isolated was 31 - 40 years
with a male to female ratio of 1:1.7. The majority of patients being 49 (70%)
were referred from the dermatology outpatient clinic (DOPC) and the most
frequent clinical diagnosis was Tinea corporis. Trichophyton species were the commonest cause of dermatophytoses in
adult patients in Port Harcourt where the most common clinical presentation was
Tinea corporis.