[Etiological agents of dermatomycoses isolated in a hospital of Santa Fe City, Argentina].

Superficial mycoses are limited to skin, hair, nails and mucous membranes. The most common etiological agents are dermatophytes and yeasts of Candida genus. The aim of this work was to know the etiological agents of dermatomycoses and their clinical presentation. Were analized 2073 samples of skin, hair, nails, and oral mucous membranes obtained from 1817 patients who attended the Microbiology Branch of the Central Laboratory at Dr. J. M. Cullen Hospital, since September 1999 to September 2003. The samples were examined and identified according to the localization and type of lesion. Out of the total samples 55.67% were positive; 63% were recovered from females, and 37% from males. The most common localization was the skin. Trichophyton rubrum was the most frequent dermatophyte, and among yeasts, Candida albicans was the prevalent species. Fourteen non-dermatophytic fungi (Fusarium spp. and Aspergillus spp.) were isolated, and considered emergent pathogens from superficial mycoses.