Superficial fungal infections in children in Northern Finland between 2000 and 2021: a single-center study.

UNLABELLED: Superficial fungal infections in children are less prevalent compared with adults, and there are limited data on epidemiology in Northern Europe. This study retrospectively observed the epidemiological factors and treatment patterns of these infections in children in Northern Finland between 2000 and 2021. Patients under 18 years diagnosed with superficial tinea infections at the dermatology outpatient clinic of Oulu University Hospital were included in the study. During the study period, there were 94 cases fulfilling the inclusion criteria. The most common infections were tinea unguium (44.7%), tinea capitis (25.5%), and tinea pedis (23.4%). Trichophyton rubrum was the predominant pathogen (56.4%) in these infections. The duration of symptoms before referral to the dermatology clinic was over 6 months in most of the cases (53.2%). In this study, we found that superficial fungal infections are relatively rare in children and seem to have a delay in diagnosis. Increased awareness among physicians is important for accurate diagnosis and treatment.

IMPORTANCE

Superficial fungal infections are infections of the skin and nails caused by fungi. They occur in 20%-25% of the global population. These infections are less common in children than in adults. This study investigated the prevalence of superficial fungal infections diagnosed in a Finnish hospital. The data were collected from patients diagnosed with superficial fungal infection at the age of under 18 years by a dermatologist between the years 2000 and 2021. Fungal infections of nails were the most common. Additionally, the study found frequent delays in diagnosis, as more than half of the cases had had symptoms for more than 6 months. This research provides information on fungal infections in children in Northern Finland and highlights the importance of improved recognition of these infections.