Paper II — 2020 February (Supplementary) (2010 Scheme) — Q6
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Paper II
2020 February (Supplementary) (2010 Scheme) · 40 marks · 120 min
Question
What are dermatophytes and give examples
Q62 marksShort Notes
Answer
Dermatophytes are a group of closely related keratinophilic fungi that specifically infect keratinized tissue (skin, hair, nails), causing dermatophytoses (tinea/ringworm infections).
Three genera:
Trichophyton — can infect skin, hair, and nails (e.g., T. rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, T. tonsurans).
Microsporum — infects skin and hair, but not nails (e.g., M. canis, M. gypseum).
Epidermophyton — infects skin and nails, but not hair (e.g., E. floccosum).
Classification by habitat: anthropophilic (human-adapted, e.g., T. rubrum), zoophilic (animal-adapted, e.g., M. canis), and geophilic (soil-dwelling, e.g., M. gypseum).
Clinical patterns: tinea capitis (scalp), tinea corporis (body), tinea cruris (groin), tinea pedis (feet), tinea unguium/onychomycosis (nails).
