BACKGROUND: Onychomycosis, a fungal infection of the nail bed, is responsible for up to 50% of nail disorders. Although several surveys have been conducted in different parts of the world, there have been no multicenter epidemiologic surveys of onychomycosis in North America. OBJECTIVE: A 12-center study was undertaken to (1) determine the frequency of onychomycosis, (2) identify organisms recovered from the nails, and (3) determine the antifungal susceptibility of isolates. METHODS: A total of 1832 subjects participated in this study and completed a comprehensive questionnaire, and nail clippings were collected for potassium hydroxide examination and culturing. RESULTS: The frequency of onychomycosis, as defined by the presence of septate hyphae on direct microscopy and/or the recovery of a dermatophyte, was found to be 13.8%. In general, the dermatophyte isolates were susceptible to the antifungals tested. CONCLUSION: Because of the limited number of large-scale studies, the baseline incidence is not firmly established. However, the higher frequency of onychomycosis in this study may confirm the suspected increase in incidence of disease in North America.
BACKGROUND:Onychomycosis, a fungal infection of the nail bed, is responsible for up to 50% of nail disorders. Although several surveys have been conducted in different parts of the world, there have been no multicenter epidemiologic surveys of onychomycosis in North America. OBJECTIVE: A 12-center study was undertaken to (1) determine the frequency of onychomycosis, (2) identify organisms recovered from the nails, and (3) determine the antifungal susceptibility of isolates. METHODS: A total of 1832 subjects participated in this study and completed a comprehensive questionnaire, and nail clippings were collected for potassium hydroxide examination and culturing. RESULTS: The frequency of onychomycosis, as defined by the presence of septate hyphae on direct microscopy and/or the recovery of a dermatophyte, was found to be 13.8%. In general, the dermatophyte isolates were susceptible to the antifungals tested. CONCLUSION: Because of the limited number of large-scale studies, the baseline incidence is not firmly established. However, the higher frequency of onychomycosis in this study may confirm the suspected increase in incidence of disease in North America.
Authors: Pranab K Mukherjee; Steven D Leidich; Nancy Isham; Ingrid Leitner; Neil S Ryder; Mahmoud A Ghannoum Journal: Antimicrob Agents Chemother Date: 2003-01 Impact factor: 5.191
Authors: J Galletti; M Negri; F L Grassi; É S Kioshima-Cotica; T I E Svidzinski Journal: Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis Date: 2015-05-26 Impact factor: 3.267
Authors: Sanne Kreijkamp-Kaspers; Kate Hawke; Linda Guo; George Kerin; Sally Em Bell-Syer; Parker Magin; Sophie V Bell-Syer; Mieke L van Driel Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2017-07-14
Authors: Leah J Cronin; Richard P Mildren; Michelle Moffitt; Antonio Lauto; C Oliver Morton; Colin M Stack Journal: Lasers Med Sci Date: 2013-03-23 Impact factor: 3.161