NAIL & TOENAIL FUNGUS
Onychomycosis means fungal infection of the nail. It is the most common disease of the nails and constitutes about a half of all nail abnormalities.This condition may affect toe- or fingernails, but toenail infections are particularly common. The prevalence of onychomycosis is about 6-8% in the adult population.Onychomycosis caused by dermatophytes is also known as tinea unguium (tinea of the nails). The nail plate can have a thickened, yellow, or cloudy appearance. The nails can become rough and crumbly, or can separate from the nail bed. There is usually no pain or other bodily symptoms, unless the disease is severe. Dermatophytids are fungus-free skin lesions that sometimes form as a result of a fungus infection in another part of the body. This could take the form of a rash or itch in an area of the body that is not infected with the fungus. Dermatophytids can be thought of as an allergic reaction to the fungus.

The causative pathogens of onychomycosis include dermatophytes, Candida, and non-dermatophytic moulds. Dermatophytes are the fungi most commonly responsible for onychomycosis in the temperate western countries; meanwhile, Candida and non-dermatophytic moulds are more frequently involved in the tropics and subtropics with a hot and humid climate.(1)




source (1) wikipedia

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