5. Results
The results of the study are represented in the following Tables
1–5 and Figs. 1–4. The age of the study population ranged
between 22 and 77. The study population comprised 50 males
and 30 females. Urban participants represented 52.5% of the
study population while rural participants represented 47.5%
(Table 1).
The most common associated clinical condition in
suspected patients with onychomycosis was anemia which
represented 35% of study population while the least common
one was trauma which represented 12.5% of patients (Table 2).
The most common clinical types of onychomycosis in
fingers & toes were Total dystrophic & proximal types respectively
while the least common clinical type in fingers and toes
was Proximal & distolateral for both (Table 3).
Of the 80 patients with clinically suspected cases of onychomycosis,
82.5% (66/80) were positive for fungal elements
by KOH microscopy. Dermatophytes were detected in 65%
and 72.5% of the cases by nested PCR and real time PCR
respectively and isolated in 37.5% (30/80) of the cases by
culture. Non-dermatophytic molds were isolated in 10%
(8/80) (Table 4, Figs. 1 and 4).
The isolated dermatophytes were T. mentagrophytes
detected in 14 cases, followed by T. rubrum detected in 8 cases
and lastly T. verrucosum and T. schoenleinii detected in 4 cases
for each. The only isolated non-dermatophyte was Aspergillus
Niger in 8 cases.
The results of direct KOH microscopy, nested PCR and
Real Time PCR (RT-PCR) were compared to these of fungal
culture in Table 5 and Fig. 1 regarding sensitivity, specificity,
PPV and NPV, and direct KOH microscopy shows the lowest
sensitivity and specificity 80%, 16%, respectively, while
RT-PCR shows the highest sensitivity and specificity 93.3%,
40%, respectively.
Real time PCR shows the highest sensitivity (93.3%) while
nested PCR shows the least sensitivity (73.3%). Real time PCR