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Cureus Apr 2024Introduction/Objective In Morocco, tinea capitis is a common reason for consultation, especially in children. Our study aimed to determine the epidemiology of tinea...
Introduction/Objective In Morocco, tinea capitis is a common reason for consultation, especially in children. Our study aimed to determine the epidemiology of tinea capitis in the Central Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology at the Ibn Sina University Hospital Center (UHC) in Rabat. Materials and methods This is a retrospective study conducted over 25 years (from 1997 to 2021). It included 247 patients with lesions suggestive of tinea capitis, who underwent a mycological examination. Results Among 594 requests for the diagnosis of tinea capitis, 247 cases were positive. A clear predominance of children (86.23%; n=213) as compared to adults (13.77%; n=34) was observed. The sex ratio (M/F) was 1.77. Hair parasitism was mainly dominated by the pure endothrix type 54.47% (n=122). The two most frequently isolated species were (51.24%; n=125) and (36.06%; n=88). In children, these two species represented 47.42% (n=101) and 41.31% (n=88), respectively. In adults, was the predominant species, accounting for 77.42% (n=24); in females, it was 76.41% (n=68); and was predominant in males (50.32%; n=78). Conclusion The epidemiology of this condition is in a constant state of flux, influenced by various lifestyle factors. Our research unveiled a notable upward trend in zoophilic species over the 25-year study period, while conversely, anthropophilic species demonstrated a discernible decline.
PubMed: 38725768
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.57885 -
Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024The essential oil of (Kunth) Mez (EOAC), an Amazon plant composed of a rare nitro compound, has shown scientific evidence of antifungal activity but is still unexplored...
The essential oil of (Kunth) Mez (EOAC), an Amazon plant composed of a rare nitro compound, has shown scientific evidence of antifungal activity but is still unexplored against dermatophytes. The antifungal susceptibility of EOAC and its main compound, 1-nitro-2-phenylethane (NP), was evaluated against dermatophytes (, and ), evidencing antifungal activity with an inhibitory concentration lower than 256 μg/mL. The mechanism of action was also evaluated, and it is suggested that EOAC and NP have fungicidal action in the fungal membrane, since the antifungal activity occurs through a modification of the shape of the conidial structures of the fungus, showing the permeability of the intracellular content due to the visually observed plasmolysis and cytosolic extravasation through an osmotic process. These results suggest the essential oil and its main compound are promising plant-derived alternatives for treating ungual dermatophytosis.
PubMed: 38927155
DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13060488