Prevalence of Tinea Versicolor among Dormitory Students

Background: Tinea versicolor is a common cutaneous fungal infection of the skin caused by a part of the resident flora of skin known as Malassezia species. This infection is recognized by pigmentation disturbance in the form of lesions and superficial scaling in the skin. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 350 students between the ages of 18-25 years who lived in a school dormitory and were suspected of clinical diagnosis of Tinea versicolor. The Scotch tape method was used to take samples from the infected skin of students, and methylene blue staining was used to prepare smears. Results: After mycological examinations, among the 350 suspected students, 30 cases tested positive for Tinea versicolor, including 17 males and 13 females. 43.3% (n: 13) of patients had hypopigmentation followed by hyperpigmentation (33.3%, n:10) and erythematous (23.3%, n:7). Conclusion: This study demonstrated a significant prevalence of Tinea versicolor among the students located in the dormitories, with a higher rate among male students. Different infection periods and lesions were observed in the cases, but no severe lesion was seen.