Assessment of the Quality of Life in Adult Patients with Dermatophytosis presenting to a Tertiary Care Hospital in Jodhpur

Abstract

Background: In India, the most prevalent superficial fungal infection of keratinized tissue, such as skin, hair, and nails, is dermatophytosis. Geographical location, the presence of domestic animals, age group, and family history of dermatophyte infection all affect the prevalence of dermatophytosis. The psychological and financial well-being of the patient may be significantly impacted by dermatophytosis. This study aims to evaluate the quality of life for Jodhpur, Rajasthan, dermatophytosis sufferers.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Patients from the Department of Dermatology who had a clinical diagnosis of dermatophytosis and were older than eighteen were included. The Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire was used to assess the impact on quality of life of all enrolled patients. To identify the fungal pathogen, samples of their skin scraping, hair plucking, and nail cutting were cultured on Sabouraud's dextrose agar and submitted to direct microscopy using potassium hydroxide. 

 Result: A total of 103 patients were enrolled. 30.1% had a moderate impact on their quality of life, with a mean ± SD DLQI score of 9.56 ± 7.10. The age range of 18 to 34 years old accounted for the majority of cases (59.2%). More men (69.9%) than women (30.1%) were impacted. The most impacted clinically by dermatophytosis was the groin region (68%), and then the gluteal region (47%). In addition to the gluteal and groin regions, the back, thighs, and abdomen were also impacted. The most common diagnosis among study participants was Tinea cruris (37.9%), which was followed by Tinea corporis (35%), which was the most common clinical presentation. The most prevalent fungal pathogen that was isolated was Trichophyton mentagrophytes (65.9%).

Conclusion: Dermatophytosis significantly affected the patient's quality of life. According to the current study, Trichophyton mentagrophyte is the most common species.

 Keywords: fungal, skin, dermatophytosis, DLQI, and quality of life.