The study of fungal infections and diabetic foot ulcer in Iraqi patients

Abstract

Fungal infections of the foot are a common and uncomplicated occurrence in the general population. This study aimed to investigate the presence of various fungal species in the diabetic feet of Iraqi patients. A total of one hundred specimens were collected from skin scrapings and nails of the patients and cultured on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA), then subjected to the isolates were subjected to different microscopic (The potassium hydroxide (KOH) test and the lactophenol cotton blue (LPCB) staining), morphological (cultural Characteristics on medium) and biochemical (hemolysis, catalase and oxidase) for identification of their species. The results of this study indicate that these specimens of DFU patients contain different mold and yeast species. In skin mycosis, Aspergillus flavus was predominant as (18.8%) followed by Candida albicans (12.5%), Aspergillus niger (7.8%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (7.8%), Trichophyton interdigitale (6.3%), Candida dubliniensis (3.1%), Microsporum canis (1.6%), while, among the 23% of nails scrapings specimens, dermatophytosis were the most isolated than yeast spp. as (50.1%, and 13.9%, respectively). Aspergillus niger was prevalent in nail infections as (27.8%), followed by Trichophyton interdigitale (16.7%), Candida dubliniensis (8.3%), Candida albicans (5.6%), Microsporum canis (2.8%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (2.8%).