THE PREVALENCE OF ONYCHOMYCOSIS IN FINLAND

Few studies have been made of the prevalence of onychomycosis among or dinary people. We therefore investigated 800 people aged between 6 and 80 years, in different age groups. We found 162 persons in whom onych omycosis was clinically suspected. However, only the 91, in whom the f ungal culture was positive for dermatophytic fungi, were included in t he final prevalence numbers. We found a prevalence of 13.0% in men, 4. 3% in women, and 8.4% in the entire population including children. Ony chomycosis was not found in any of the 200 people aged less than 20 ye ars. The prevalences found in this study are much higher than those re ported in the earlier studies made elsewhere in Europe.