| Abstract: | The authors have analyzed the results of cultures in Sabouraud's agar performed over a 20-year period in 6,000 patients with lesions of the skin, skin appendages and mucosae of suspected fungal origin. Throughout this period all patients, almost exclusively urban or suburban, were seen at the Dermatology out-patient consultation of a central city hospital. The 6,000 specimens were analyzed globally, with special attention to time-related changes in the 10 groups of 6,000 specimens each whenever a significant modification was observed. The analysis was divided into two parts: a review of the fungi isolated, of the manifestations they produced and of the time-related changes in their respective prevalence; a study of the fungi responsible for the main dermatological syndromes. Out of 6,000 cultures, 2,502 strains of pathogenic fungi were isolated, representing a growth rate coefficient of 41.66 p. 100. There were 1,237 dermatophytes and 1,265 yeasts of the Candida group. However, this overall impression of two equal groups gives a wrong idea of the changes that occurred during this long period. Figure 1 clearly shows that in 20 years the number of dermatophytes increased whereas the number of Candida decreased. Figures 2 and 3 demonstrate that the rise in dermatophytes was almost exclusively due to an increase in T. rubrum and the fall in yeasts, to a decrease in Candida albicans.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) |
