Dermatophytosis of children in Kuwait.

Five hundred fifty-six children constituted 39.5% of total smear- and culture-positive cases of dermatophytosis and 0.6% of the total new dermatology outpatients seen over a period of five years. Males outnumbered females. The youngest child was a 20-day-old neonate (age range 20 days-12 yrs) with a peak of fungal infections seen in patients between 4 and 6 years of age. Microsporum canis was the most prevalent (70.5%) species, followed by Trichophyton violaceum, Microsporum audouinii, Trichophyton rubrum, and Epidermophyton floccosum. Rarely, other species were also isolated. Tinea capitis was the most common (73.7%) clinical type, followed by tinea corporis (19.1%), tinea faciei (3.4%), tinea cruris (3.4%), tinea pedis (0.9%), tinea unguium (0.9%), and tinea manus (0.2%). No racial variations were observed; however, the predominant species differed with the clinical types.