Dermatophytes: Common Infections, Evolving Challenges
Dermatophyte infections remain among the most common fungal diseases
worldwide.WHO estimates that ringworm accounts for more than half of
approximately 650 million fungal skin infections worldwide.1
Today, diagnosis is increasingly shaped by:
- High disease frequency
- Different clinical presentations
- The growing role of molecular identification
- Emerging antifungal resistance2,3
EurobioPlex
From Clinical Signs to Clinical Management
Understand
Age, anatomical site, epidemiology and
transmission can provide important
context.
Identify
Laboratory testing can confirm a fungal infection and help identify the causative organism, particularly in persistent, recurrent, or atypical cases.
Manage
Treatment depends on the infection site, extent, patient factors, and, in some cases, microbiological findings.
Dermatophytes in Clinical Practice
Dermatophytes are adapted to keratinized tissues and can cause infection of the skin, hair, and nails.
Estimated fungal skin infections worldwide at any given time.1
>
0
million
Reported prevalence of tinea capitis among children under 10 in some settings.1
>
0
%
Approximate proportion represented by ringworm / tinea.
>
0
%
Estimated prevalence of dermatophyte toenail onychomycosis in the general population.4
>
0
%
Symptoms & Common types
Symptoms depend on the body area involved but often include:
- Red, circular or ring-shaped patches
- Itching
- Scaling, cracked, peeling skin
- Thickened, discolored nails
- Patchy hair loss in scalp infections
Common types of dermatophyte infections:
- Tinea pedis: athlete’s foot
- Tinea corporis: body ringworm
- Tinea cruris: jock itch
- Tinea capitis: scalp ringworm
- Tinea unguium / Onychomycosis: nail infection
Diagnostic Approaches
Different methods, different strengths
Dermatophyte diagnosis can combine several laboratory approaches, including microscopy, culture, and molecular methods.
Each provides different information and may vary in turnaround time, sensitivity, and ability to identify the causative organism.
| Method | Time to Result | Sensitivity | Limitation |
| Microscopy | Fast | Low | Operator dependent |
| Culture | 3–4 weeks | Moderate | Slow; requires experienced staff for interpretation and identification |
| PCR | ~90 min | High | Requires equipment |
Interested in EurobioPlex Dermatophytes?
- Explore the assay
Discover the targets, compatible samples and workflow of the EurobioPlex Dermatophytes solution. - Check availability
Contact your Eurobio Scientific representative or local distributor for product availability in your country. - Integrate it into your workflow
Access the technical documentation and information needed to introduce the assay into your laboratory routine.
References
- World Health Organization. Ringworm (tinea). WHO; 19 June 2025.
- Kidd SE, Weldhagen GF. Diagnosis of dermatophytes: from microscopy to direct PCR. Microbiology Australia. 2022;43(1):9–13. doi:10.1071/MA22005.
- Ferreira CB, Lisboa C. A systematic review on the emergence of terbinafine-resistant Trichophyton indotineae in Europe: Time to act? J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2025;39(2):364–376. doi:10.1111/jdv.20270.
- Gupta AK, Wang T, Polla Ravi S, Mann A, Bamimore MA. Global prevalence of onychomycosis in general and special populations: An updated perspective. Mycoses. 2024 Apr;67(4):e13725. doi: 10.1111/myc.13725.