FCP 13 Trichophyton verrucosum infection in Korea: Analysis on 224 patients from 1976 to 2015

Background: Trichophyton (T.) verrucosum is a dermatophyte causing ringworm in cattle, distributed worldwide. It can be responsible for various inflammatory lesions of skin and scalp. In Korea, kerion celsi caused by T. verrucosum was first reported at 1986 in the southeast province of Korea. Since then, many patients infected with T. verrucosum have been reported in Young-nam province. There are few long-term studies about epidemiological characteristics of T. verrucosum. Objectives: To investigate the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of T. verrucosum infections in Korea. Methods: A total of 224 patients were diagnosed as T. verrucosum infection by fungal culture from 1976 to 2015. The data were based on a retrospective survey of medical records. Results: The annual incidence of patients with T. verrucosum infection had been increasing since the report in 1986. The number of patients showed a peak in 1988. After 2000, the number of patients had been decreasing. Female to male ratio showed a 1.2-fold predominance of female infection. And more than 15-year-old group was 59.4% of total patients. T. verrucosum infection was most commonly seen in spring and was found predominantly in patients living in rural areas. Face was most frequently involved, followed by arms. Conclusion: These findings provide useful information for understanding of T. verrucosum infection and future dermatophytosis prospects.