title: Onycomychosis due to Scytalidium spp.: a clinical and epidemiologic study at a University Hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Scytalidium sp. is a filamentous (thread-like), saprobic fungus which affects soil and plants. It is currently considered a primary pathogen of the nail. The prevalence of nail infections caused by this fungus has been increasing in recent decades, although few published studies have been done on its epidemiology.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study clinico-epidemiological data referring to patients with onychomycosis caused by Scytalidium spp. at a University Hospital in Rio de Janeiro.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the clinical and epidemiological data of 30 patients with onychomycosis by Scytalidium sp. through an observational study of 1295 patients who underwent mycological nail tests over a period of 16 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of the patients were female (66.6%), with an average age of 56.7 years. 63.3% of them were nonwhite. 53.3% of the patients had attended elementary school and 36.6% referred a family income of 3 to 5 minimum wages. In 90% of cases, the toenails were affected, primarily with onycholysis (18 patients), and in 66% of the cases melanonychia was observed. In 43.3% of cases the disease had progressed for more than 5 years. 19 patients (63.3%) had undergone some medical treatment for their current condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data show that nail infection by Scytalidium sp. is chronic, affecting adults, particularly females (2:1). Clinically the disease resembles dermatophytosis. Prevalence of the disease in our sample was 4.86%, accounting for 26.92% of the positive tests.
authors: Pedro Ernesto University Hospital, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. igorbcursi@gmail.com
authors: Igor Brum
authors: IB
authors: Cursi
authors: Letícia Bastos da Cunha Rodrigues de
authors: LB
authors: Freitas
authors: Maria de Lourdes Palermo Fernandes
authors: Mde L
authors: Neves
authors: Ione Carlos da
authors: IC
authors: Silva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005533:Foot Dermatoses / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006229:Hand Dermatoses / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014009:Onychomycosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors