Role of bacteria Staphylococcus spp., yeasts of Candida spp., Malassezia spp. genera in pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD) in infant patients is well known. However, no data concerning the incidence of dermatophytes in such disease entity were obtained. Aim of the study was estimation of dermatophytes carriage in children with AD. Group of patients involved 44 persons 1 to 18 years old with clinically diagnosed acute AD. Especially for the study a method of skin scales collection was created: painless for patients and safe for medical personnel. The method is based on following stages - rubbing of lichenificated skin zones with sterile swab which was preliminary saturated with phosphate/Tween 80 buffer pH 7,9 and centrifuging of the suspension for sedimentation of skin scales. Microscopic examination of hydrolyzed scales was carried out at maximal magnification x1750, at that different dermatophyte and yeast fungal forms were registered. Spores of dermatophyte fungi were detected with 67,0% frequency, whereas dermatophyte mycelium - with 18,3% frequency. No correlation between dermatophyte spores and mycelium was found out (Pirson`s coefficient r=0,236), however no mycelium without spores was detected, but in 73,3% of cases spores occurred without mycelium. Yeast spores were detected in 45,2% of patients - this fact is agreed with data obtained earlier by the seeding method, but yeast mycelium was found out in 3,5% of patients.Therefore frequent occurrence of dermatophyte fungi on the skin of AD infants is revealed for the first time. At that dermatophytes were found out to exist more often in the form of spores. These results are important for choice of the further therapy.
Keywords: atopic dermatitis; clinical laboratory diagnostics; dermatophyte; microscopy.