Frequency of dermatophytes causing tinea corporis in Tripoli, Libya

Tinea corporis is quite common in Libya but there are no published data from that country. The present study was designed to provide a preliminary report on tinea corporis in Libya. One hundred and four patients attending the out-patient dermatology clinic of the Central Hospital, Tripoli with clinical and direct microscopical evidence of tinea corporis were included in the study. Only 66 of the 104 patients (63 multiplied by 5%) were positive by culture for dermatophytes. Tinea corporis was more common in males (56 multiplied by 7%) than in females (43 multiplied by 3%). 50%, 33 multiplied by 7% and 16 multiplied by 3% of cases were aged 5-20, 20-40; and 40-60 years respectively. Lesions were most frequently encountered on hands (27 multiplied by 9%) and in 19 multiplied by 2% of the cases multiple sites were involved. Thirty-seven isolates (56 multiplied by 1%) were identified as Trichophyton violaceum , 22 (33 multiplied by 3%) as T. rubrum , 4 (6 multiplied by 1%) as Microsporum canis , and 3 (4 multiplied by 5%) as Epidermophyton floccosum .