title: Onychomycosis in qassim region of saudi arabia: a clinicoaetiologic correlation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Onychomycosis is mainly caused by dermatophytes, but yeasts and nondermatophyte molds have also been implicated, giving rise to diverse clinical presentations. The aetiological agents of the disease may show geographic variation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to isolate the causative pathogens and to correlate the various clinical patterns of onychomycosis with causative pathogens.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population comprised 170 patients with clinical suspicion of onychomycosis. Nail samples were collected for direct microscopic examination and culture. Clinical patterns were noted and correlated with causative pathogens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of total 170 cases included in the study, 140 (82.4%) were positive by microscopy and 77 (45.3%) showed positive mycological findings by both microscopy and culture. The male: female ratio was 1:2.5 and the mean age was 35.29 ± 16.47 years. Fingernails were involved in 51.9%, toenails in 28.6% and both fingernails and toenails in 19.5% of the 77 patients. The clinical types noted were distal lateral subungual onychomycosis (71.4%), proximal subungual onychomycosis (10.4%), total dystrophic onychomycosis (10.4%), superficial white onychomycosis (3.9%) and mixed pattern onychomycosis (3.9%). Yeasts were the most common pathogens isolated, being found in 36 patients (46.8%) followed by nondermatophyte molds which were isolated from 28 patients (36.4%) followed by dermatophytes which were isolated from 13 patients (16.9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Distal lateral subungual onychomycosis was the most common clinical presentation. Candida albicans, Aspergillus species and Tricophyton rubrum were the major pathogens. A single pathogen can give rise to more than one clinical type.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Qassim University , Saudi Arabia .
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shahzad
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Qassim University , Saudi Arabia .
authors.forename: Abdullateef A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Alzolibani
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Qassim University , Saudi Arabia .
authors.forename: Ahmad A Al
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Robaee
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, King Saud University , Saudi Arabia .
authors.forename: Ghada A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Bin Saif
authors.affiliation: Specialist, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, Qassim University , Saudi Arabia .
authors.forename: Ibrahim H K
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Babikir
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Anatomy and Histology, College of Medicine, Qassim University , Saudi Arabia .
authors.forename: Eltuhami M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Abdel-Magied
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University , Egypt .
authors.forename: Abeer E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Elsayed
keywords: Onychomycosis; Qassim region; Saudi Arabia