Proceedings of International Conference on Applied Innovation in IT  ·  2026/06/12  ·  Vol. 14  ·  Issue 4  ·  pp. 861–870
Distribution of Dermatomycoses Fungi Among the Residents of
Noor Ali Faleh, Haneen Ali Mustaf, Abeer Habeb Ahmed, Mohanad Waheeb Mahdi, Anaam Fuad Hussain, Shumaila Ijaz, Alaudeen Sadeq Khalaf and Mohammed Abbas Jasim
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Abstract
Dermatomycoses are superficial fungal infections caused mainly by dermatophytes and, in some cases, by opportunistic fungi, particularly in susceptible individuals. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of cutaneous mycoses and identify the dermatophyte and opportunistic fungal species associated with these infections. A total of 120 clinical specimens, including nail clippings, onychomycosis samples, hair fragments, and skin scrapings, were collected from 100 patients with different forms of tinea infections in Al-Khalis city, Diyala Governorate, Iraq, during the period from May 2025 to February 2026. All specimens were examined by direct microscopy using 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH) and cultured on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA), followed by additional phenotypic identification procedures. The results showed that dermatomycoses were more frequently observed among females than males. Tinea manuum was the most prevalent clinical form, whereas tinea faciei was the least common. Fungal growth was obtained from 115 specimens (95.83%), including 90 dermatophyte isolates (78.26%) and 25 opportunistic fungal isolates (21.74%). Among dermatophytes, Epidermophyton floccosum was the predominant species (32 isolates), followed by Trichophyton rubrum (29 isolates), Microsporum canis (18 isolates), and T. mentagrophytes (11 isolates). Opportunistic fungi included Candida albicans (12 isolates), Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (4 isolates), Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus nidulans, and A. niger (2 isolates each), as well as single isolates of Rhizopus arrhizus, Penicillium sp., and Trichoderma longibrachiatum. The isolation of T. longibrachiatum from tinea cruris represents an uncommon finding and highlights the emergence of less frequently reported fungal agents in superficial infections. These findings emphasize the importance of accurate laboratory identification combining microscopy and culture methods for effective diagnosis and epidemiological surveillance of dermatomycoses. Continuous monitoring and further molecular investigations are recommended to better understand the pathogenic potential and antifungal response of emerging fungal species.
Keywords
Dermatomycoses Tinea Clinical Study Phenotypic Study Dermatophytes Opportunistic Fungi
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