title: [Onychomycosis: multicentre epidemiological, clinical and mycological study].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Onychomycosis accounts for up to 50% of all nail disorders. They can be caused by: yeasts, dermatophytes and non-dermatophyte moulds.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  A multicentre study designed to determine the prevalence, mycological test results, aetiological agents, and clinical presentation of onychomycosis was carried out. All fingernail and toenail samples taken during a one year period at 9 diagnostic centres were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 5,961 samples were analysed, of which 82.3% were from toenails and 17.7% from fingernails. The mean age of the patients was 49.7 years, and 66% were females. Direct microscopic examination was positive in 61% of the samples. In adults, 61.2% of toenails were positive using potassium hydroxide (KOH), and 43.7% were positive in cultures. The prevailing aetiological agents belong to the dermatophyte group (82.8%), and distal subungual was the most common clinical form. In fingernails, direct examination showed 59.8% positive samples, and cultures were positive in 52.9%. The prevailing agents were yeasts belonging to Candida species, and onycholysis was the most common lesion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Direct mycological examinations were positive in 61%, a higher value than that found in other series. Dermatophytes were prevalent in toenails of both sexes, and in finger nails yeast were prevalent in females, and dermatophytes in males. Non-dermatophyte moulds corresponded to 4.8% of toenail and 2.05% of fingernails isolates.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Microbiología, CEMIC. Caba, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. srelloso@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Relloso
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arechavala
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guelfand
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maldonado
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Agorio
authors.forename: Soledad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giusiano
authors.forename: Florencia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Capece
authors.forename: Gladys
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Posse
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nicola
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tutzer
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bianchi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005533:Foot Dermatoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006229:Hand Dermatoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D006878:Hydroxides; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009172:Mycology / Q000379:methods; D014009:Onychomycosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D009928:Organ Specificity; D017680:Potassium Compounds; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006878:Hydroxides; D017680:Potassium Compounds; C029943:potassium hydroxide