Prevalence of trichophytia (ringworm) in patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities and implication of trichophyton sensitization in asthma.

Abstract

It is said that one in four Japanese people have athlete's foot. Patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities (SMID) often have skin problems on their feet, such as thickened epithelium or hyperkeratosis. Trichophytosis, or ringworm, is mostly caused by trichophyton, sensitization to which can cause or exacerbate asthma, leading to increased severity of the condition. We examined 99 patients admitted to our institution to determine the prevalence of trichophytia of the feet (nails) and trichophyton-specific IgE antibody prevalence, and how it is implicated in asthma in patients with SMID living in our institution. Prevalence of trichophytia of the feet (nails) was 11.1%, which was lower than that of the general population. Only three subjects tested positive for the trichophyton-specific IgE antibody, all of whom were adults. There may be a low rate of trichophyton sensitization in patients with SMID, and trichophyton sensitization may have a smaller affect on onset and exacerbation of asthma.