Pattern of dermatophytes among dermatological specimens at AFIP, Rawalpindi

Objective To determine the types and prevalence of dermatophytes from the clinical specimens received at Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP). Materials and methods Study design is descriptive. The study was carried out at the Department of Microbiology, AFIP Rawalpindi from June 2009 to May 2010. Total of 400 different clinical specimens were dealt during the study period. After direct microscopy, they were inoculated on Sabouraud’s dextrose agar with and without antimicrobials. The plates were incubated at 220C and examined twice weekly up to four weeks for any fungal growth. Species identification was done through colony morphology and microscopic examination of lactophenol blue preparation. Results Out of total specimens, 221(55.25%) yielded fungal growth. The overall yield of dermatophytes from different specimens was in the order of nail (78%), followed by skin (18.3%) and hair (3.3%). Conclusion Mycological infections have growing importance because of the increasing population of immune-compromised patients warranting a high index of suspicion