Abstract

BACKGROUND: Tinea versicolor is regarded as one of the most common dermatoses. It constitutes about 3% of dermatological patients.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the frequency of tinea versicolor among patients with fungal skin infections. Special attention was paid to sex and age distribution, as well as to the associated cutaneous and systemic disorders.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was based on 2665 questionnaires. The clinical diagnosis of tinea versicolor was confirmed by positive direct mycological examination in 10~20% potassium hydroxide solution with addition of dimethyl sulfoxide and by yellow-orange Wood's lamp fluorescence of the lesions.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Tinea versicolor was diagnosed in 325 patients (12.2% of all patients with different fungal skin and nail infections). Female patients constituted 52.3% and males 47.7%. The majority of patients were from the big towns (81.2%), only 4% of patients lived in the rural areas. 45.3% of patients finished secondary school, 23.4% had higher education. The age of patients varied from 10 to 79 years, mean age 36.1 ± 15.3 years. Tinea versicolor was diagnosed in 45.0% of patients between the age of 16 and 35 years and it was uncommon in children (5.2%). The duration of the disease was 1 week to 23 years, mean 2.5 ± 3.5 years. 49.5% of patients were previously treated with different regimens, Other cutaneous abnormalities were found in 20.6% of patients with tinea versicolor. Among them acne (4.9%), seborrheic dermatitis (3.1%) and onychomycosis (3.1%) were the most common ones. 14.5% of tinea versicolor patients suffered from systemic diseases, such as arterial hypertension (4%), thyroid abnormalities (3.1%), coronary insufficiency (2.5%) and diabetes melllitus (1.5%). 

Keywords

Epidemiology Malassezia furfur Tinea Versicolor

KJMM 2000 September;5(3):108-112(5). Epub 2016 February 22
Copyright © 2000 by Korean Journal of Medical Mycology

Language

English

Author

Jacek C Szepietowski; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University of Medicine, Wrocław, Poland
Eugeniusz Baran; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University of Medicine, Wrocław, Poland
Ewa Wild; Novartis Pharma, Warszawa, Poland

Corresponding

Jacek C Szepietowski, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University of Medicine, UI. Chałubinskiego 1, 50-368 Wrocław, Poland. Phone: +48-71-3209851, Fax: +48-71-3687105, e-mail: jszepiet@derm.am.wroc.pl

Publication history

Acknowledgements

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Jacek C Szepietowski

Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University of Medicine, Wrocław, Poland

Eugeniusz Baran

Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University of Medicine, Wrocław, Poland

Ewa Wild

Novartis Pharma, Warszawa, Poland

Since epub date 2016 February 22