Low but continuous occurrence of microsporum gypseum infection in the study on 198 cases in South Korea from 1979 to 2016

Background: Microsporum gypseum has been isolated from South Korea since 1966. However, the incidence of M. gypseum infection is very low. Objective: The aim of this study is to add massive data on M. gypseum to the literature and to provide useful information on clinical and mycological characteristics of M. gypseum. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data of 198 cases infected with M. gypseum from 1979 to 2016. The identification of M. gypseum was done with mycological examination using 15% KOH preparation and potato corn meal tween 80 agar culture media. Results: The incidence of M. gypseum infection was very low in South Korea, showing a tendency to decrease. Out of 198 cases, men were 94 cases (47.5%) and women were 104 cases (52.5%). Mean age of all patients was 29.83 years old: 24.97 years old in men and 34.22 years old in women. M. gypseum infection occurred most frequently in September (16.7%) and August (16.2%). The most common clinical type of M. gypseum infection was tinea corporis (38.4%). Conclusion: M. gypseum infection shows very low incidence but still remains around us until recent years. We should keep in mind the characteristics of M. gypseum.