title: Tinea unguium in Lahore, Pakistan.
abstract: During a period of 1 year, out of 202 clinically suspected cases of tinea unguium, 53 (26%) were confirmed by mycological cultures for dermatophytes. Trichophyton rubrum was the most common fungus isolated in 46 (87%) patients, followed by T. violaceum in four (7%), T. interdigitale in two (4%) and Epidermophyton floccosum in one (2%). The disease was more common in adult males and fingernails were found to be affected more often than toenails. The distal and lateral variety was seen in 41 (77%) patients, total secondary dystrophic type in 11 (21%) and proximal subungual type in one (2%). Clinical diagnosis alone is not reliable and mycological confirmation is mandatory for this potentially curable disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, King Edward Medical College/Mayo Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. dderma@paknet4.ptc.pk
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aman
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Haroon
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bokhari
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Khurshid
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014009:Onychomycosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D014249:Trichophyton / Q000302:isolation & purification