Dermatophytes: Keratin Eaters

Dermatophytes are a group of closely related keratinophilic fungi belonging to the anamorphic genera Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton.They have the capacity to invade keratinized tissue such as skin, hair, and nails of humans and animals to produce a superficial mycotic infection called dermatophytosis.In one of the survey conducted by World Health Organization (WHO), it has been reported that about 25% people worldwide have cutaneous infections.People of all ages are affected by the dermatophytosis.Migration, climatic factors, growth in tourism, changes in socioeconomic conditions, overcrowding, healthcare, environmental hygiene, culture and individual characteristics may influence the epidemiology of dermatophytoses.There are different types of dermatophytosis and have been named according to the anatomic locations involved..The main aim of this paper is to review the etiology, prevalence, and clinical presentation, the latest knowledge on pathogenesis of dermatomycosis.This article mainly focuses on recent published work on different aspects of dermatophytes.