Observational and descriptive study of prevalence of onychomycosis in a population attending a dermatology office in the Health Area of Ferrol

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of onychomycosis in a sample of subjects attending a dermatology office and to study how different personal factors influence the frequency of occurrence of this disease.

Methods: This study comprised a sample of 100 subjects (42 men and 58 women) attended consecutively during the course of the study. A clinical diagnosis of the disease was performed based on clinical signs observed during physical examination of the lower extremities.

Results: 18% of the participants had onychomycosis, of whom 61.1% were women and 38.9% were men. The most prevalent associated diseases in subjects with onychomycosis were in this order dermatological type diseases (16.7%) and cardiovascular and endocrine type diseases (both with 11.1%). Tinea pedis was present in 33.3% of those with onychomycosis with no difference in percentage between plantar and interdigital tinea pedis. The most common type of onychomycosis was the distal subungueal type (in 100% of the cases) and the great toe was the most affected one.

Conclusions: A prevalence of onychomycosis consistent with the published current literature has been obtained. Our results confirm the relationship between comorbidities found and the presence of tinea pedis with the presence of onychomycosis.