This study was first, initiated to compare the effectiveness of the KOH mount versus actual culturing from 1928 skin scrapings obtained from December, 1975 to August, 1976 in Daegu area. Second, changes in both clinical patterns and fungal flora isolated among the causative organisms were observed and following results were obtained;
The KOH mount reported a higher number of positive cases, when compared with the culture method. Covered areas of the body reported higher KOH positive rates than exposed areas, while cultures from the finger and toe-nails reported unusually low positive rates.
In 51.3% of the cases, both culture and KOH mount were positive. The positive coincidence rate was found to be highest with the lesions from the scalp, buttock and groin, and lowest with lesions from the hands and feet. The positive KOH scrapings when cultured, showed a 10.3% negative rate while the negative KOH scrapings reported a 7.3 % positive culture rate.
The rate of culture contamination was highest in KOH negative cases and also highest among finger and toe-nail lesions. Weather was also thought to be a factor: the higher the temperature, the lower the frequency of contamination.
The 1138 strains isolated in 1976 were compared to a similar study done between 1957-1959, the following results were observed: T.rubrum has markedly increased while T. ferrugineum has significantly decreased with M. gy pseum reported for the first time in Korea.
Although most of these species were fairly equally distributed throughout the urban and rural areas, M. cards and M. gypseum were limited to the urban areas. Compared to 1959 changes in the causative organisms rate of the following dermatophytosis were observed: In T. pedis, T. corporis, T. manus and T. Unguium, T. rubrum was reported as the Predominant . causative agent and the second most prominent causative agent was T. mentagrophytes. In T. cruris, T. rubrum was also reported as the predominant causative agent with E. floccosum the second while in T. capitis, T. ferrugineum remained the predominant causative agent.
The frequency of dermatophytosis was reported as follows: Tinea of the hands and feet reported the highest incidence. T. pedis alone accounted for 38.8% of all dermatophytosis while T. cruris was second 21.0%. Compared to the previously study T. capitis decreased significantly.
The majority of cases were found to be in the age group(20~39 years) 68.4%. T. capitis and T. cruris were reported predominatly in males while similar results were reported with T. pedis. T. manus and T. unguium in females.
The monthly distribution of T. capitis, T. corporis and T. cruris remained fairly constant while T. pedis and T. manus greatly increased during the hotter months May to August.
Coexistence of dermatophytosis preferred females to males and T.cruris infected from T. pedis was also common in males.
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