Epidemiology of dermatomycoses of humans in Central Poland. Part I - Superficial infections caused by yeasts and moulds

This work presents the epidemiology of dermatomycoses and their etiological agents of people living in the Lodz region, Central Poland, over the years 1987-1996. The analysis involved subjects referred by physicians to three major mycological laboratories in Lodz (covering the entire mycological dia gnostics of the Lodz region). The study comprised a total of 25 737 persons aged 1-82. Positive results of mycological examinations were obtained for 14084 (54.7%) patients. The total number of 14295 positive mycological resu lts included 6902 (48.3%) isolations of non-dermatophyte fungi. The non-der matophytes included: Candida-like (69.8%), moulds (26.9%) and lipophilic ye asts (3.3%). The distribution of non-dermatophytes was characterized by dep endence on sociodemographic features such as subjects' age, place of reside nce, education and occupation. Candida-like fungi are etiological factors o f superficial infections of all clinical types whereas moulds were found to cause infections of finger and toe nails and periungual walls.