Abstract
Background : Although tinea pedis is one of the most prevalent diseases caused by dermatophytes, there have been few studies about distribution of dermatophytes on infected soles for this disease in Korea.
Objective : The purpose of the study was to investigate the distribution of dermatophytes on infected sole using the new direct culture method(Foot-press method).
Methods : The infected soles of 39 patients were directly pressed onto Sabouraud's dextrose agar with cycloheximide prepared in a large culture dish for a few seconds. The culture media were then incubated at 25C for 1-4 weeks.
Results and Conclusion :
1. Dermatophyte colonies were isolated from twenty-eight patients (71.8%).
2. Twenty-four of the isolated dermatophytes were Trichophyton (T.) rubrum (85.7%), and the rest were T. mentagraphytes (14.3%).
3. The number of isolated colonies from each patient range from 1 to 102 (Mean +- SD, 12.8 +- 20.7). Three isolated colonies were most common.
4. The isolation frequencies were higher in the patients of keratotic type and in those with tinea unguium (p < 0.05).
5. Positive rate was highest in patients with widely-spread lesion (p < 0.05).
