Dual Dermatophyte Infections in a Young Patient with Onychomycosis from Coastal Karnataka: A Rare Experience

Abstract

Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nail caused by dermatophytes and nondermatophytes. The dermatophytes responsible for onychomycosis are Trichophyton spp. and Epidermophyton floccosum. The laboratory diagnosis was performed by conventional methods such as KOH mount, culture on SDA, and DTM. Further, microscopy was studied by LPCB tease mount and slide culture methods. Speciation of dermatophytes was done by the urea hydrolysis test and in vitro hair perforation tests. We present a clinical case of a proximal subungual onychomycosis infection of a toenail caused by Microsporum gypseum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. To our knowledge and research, this dual association of dermatophytes is reported for the first time in India.

Keywords

• onychomycosis
• dermatophytes
• microsporum gypseum
• trichophyton mentagrophytes.