title: Onychomycosis in Denmark: prevalence of fungal nail infection in general practice.
abstract: The study was initiated in order to get knowledge of the frequency of onychomycosis in patients visiting general practitioners in Denmark. A study design was using a display showing photos of abnormal nails including fungal infection, a clinical examination and a questionnaire. The practitioners obtained nail material. Direct microscopy and culture as well as histopathology, were carried out blindly in two different mycological laboratories. A number of 8546 patients were seen during the 6 months of the study, 5755 (67.3%) took part in the investigation. Clinical abnormal nails were observed in 948 (16.5%) patients, 52% males and 48% females, aged 18-92, mean 55 years old. Onychomycosis caused by dermatophytes were found in 238 (4.1%) and by Candida albicans in 45 (0.8%). Trichosporon cutaneum and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis were isolated each in 15 cases as single cultures. Onychomycosis, was typically seen in toenails as the distal-lateral type in males more than 40 years old. Predisposing factors were familiar dermatophytosis (22%), trauma (16.9%), diabetes mellitus (6.7%) and peripheral circulatory insufficiency (5.9%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. else.svejgaard@get2net.dk
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Svejgaard
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nilsson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D005533:Foot Dermatoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009262:Nails / Q000382:microbiology*; D014009:Onychomycosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014034:Toes; D014249:Trichophyton / Q000302:isolation & purification