Etiology and clinical characteristics of mycotic leukonychia.

The purpose of the present paper is to add to our understanding of the prevalence of mycotic leukonychia. Twenty patients with mycotic leukonychia were studied. Leukonychia with atypical characteristics not previously described or with discordant characteristics relative to the ones that were responsible of this infection were found. Direct microscopic examination and cultures showed that Fusarium spp. were the responsible agents in 10% of the cases and that dermatophytes were implicated in the other 90%, where Trichophyton rubrum was the predominant etiologic agent. In this report we describe the clinical characteristics of the nail infections, the probable predisposing causes of the disease and the evolution of the cases.