Dermatophyte and non dermatophyte fungi in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia

Abstract EN

Background: Dermatophytes are a scientific label for a group of three genera (Microsporum, Epidermophyton and Trichophyton) of fungus that causes skin disease in animals and humans.

Conventional methods for identification of these fungi are rapid and simple but are not accurate comparing to molecular methods.

Objective: This study aimed to isolate human pathogenic dermatophytes which cause dermatophytosis in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia and to identify these fungi by using conventional and molecular methods.

Methods: The study was conducted in Medical Complex, Riyadh and King Saud University.

Samples of infected skin, hairs and nails were collected from 112 patients.

Diagnosis of skin infections, direct microscopic test, isolation and identification of dermatophytes by conventional and molecular methods were carried out.

Results: The results indicated that the tinea capitis infection had the highest prevalence among the patients (22.3%) while Tinea barbae had the lowest.

In this study the identified dermatophyte isolates belong to nine species as Trichophyton violaceum, Trichophyton verrucosum, Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton schoenleinii, Trichophyton concentricum,