Dermatophytes prevalence is dependent on the season, geographical area, socio-economic factors and effective management strategies.

A study evaluated the prevalence of pathogenic dermatophytes, clinical types of dermatophyte fungal infection, and in vitro antifungal drug susceptibility testing against dermatophytes.

395 patients with dermatophytosis were enrolled from different locations across India and were subjected to clinical examination and investigations, like potassium hydroxide microscopy, fungal culture and antifungal drug susceptibility testing.

The following observations were made-

• The frequented species was found to be Trichophyton rubrum (68.4%), followed by T. mentagrophytes (29.3%). 
• Humid environmental conditions observed the presence of T. mentagrophytes species
• Noncoastal areas observed the presence of T. rubrum. 
• The frequented clinical types were found to be Tinea corporis (71.4%) and tinea cruris (62.0%).
• Griseofulvin (0.25–3.0 μg/mL) showed to have the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration for inhibiting the growth of 90% of organisms (MIC-90), by antifungal drug susceptibility testing data.
• Among oral antifungals, itraconazole showed the mean MIC to be within the range (0.84 [0.252] μg/ mL), while terbinafine showed high mean MIC values (0.05 [0.043] μg/mL). 
• Luliconazole (0.29 [0.286] μg/mL), eberconazole (0.32 [0.251]) μg/mL and amorolfine (0.60 [0.306]) μg/mL showed lowest mean MIC values among topical agents.

Thus it was concluded that T. rubrum is the most common, followed by T. mentagrophytes surging fungal isolate in India. Tinea corporis is the most frequented clinical type of dermatophytosis. Mean MIC of terbinafine is more than the reference range, while it remains within the range for itraconazole; and griseofulvin has the lowest mean MIC. Luliconazole showed the lowest mean MIC values nationwide.

Source- Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2021;87:800-6.