Increasing incidence of Trichophyton tonsurans in Paris, France: a 15‐year retrospective study

Funding sources: K.A. is supported by a research fellowship from the Syrian Ministry of Higher Education, Damascus University. Conflicts of interest: none declared. Madam, The anthropophilic Trichophyton tonsurans is known worldwide as a causative agent of tinea capitis and tinea corporis. In the U.S.A. and Canada, T. tonsurans is now responsible for up to 50% of all dermatophytoses and 95% of cases of tinea capitis.1, 2 Since 1990, there has been a marked increase in T. tonsurans infection in Europe as reported in the U.K., Spain, Netherlands and Sweden.3–6 Since 2001, this pathogen has been the cause of nationwide epidemics in wrestlers in some countries such as Japan and Turkey.7, 8 Similarly, in France, T. tonsurans has been the cause of epidemics of tinea capitis and tinea corporis gladiatorum.9 The aim of this retrospective study is to describe the epidemiology of cutaneous T. tonsurans infections diagnosed in our laboratory in Paris, France, from 1996 to 2010, in order to gain more comprehensive insight into the course of this dermatophytosis. The only inclusion criterion was a positive culture for T. tonsurans. Sex, age, geographical origin and sites of involvement were noted. Skin and nail samples were examined directly in black chlorazol E solution and hair samples in a chloral–lactophenol solution. Samples were cultured on Sabouraud agar slants supplemented with antibiotics and with antibiotics and cycloheximide (Bio‐Rad, Marnes la Coquette, France) and incubated at 27 °C for up to 3 weeks. Dermatophyte species were identified according to usual macroscopic and microscopic criteria.