Dermatomycoses in sports-practicing persons

Abstract

The relationship between practice of sports (at least 6 hours per week) and the presence of dermatomycoses was evaluated In 389 persons, aged 16-46, most of them university students; according to the kind of sport 4 subgroups were defined, namely: 1) 129 footwear-users (football, basketball, athletics); 2) 84 barefooted (taekwondo, Judo, karate); 3) 101 "wet" (swimming and diving); 4) 75 controls (persons who practiced sports less than 2 hours per week). In 177 persons (45.5%) a dermatomicosis was found by either direct examination or culture. The frequency was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the foot wear users (54.3%) than in the controls (34.7%). The corresponding figures for the barefooted and the "wet" were 46.4% and 41.6% respectively (NS). When statistical analysis was restricted to the feet dermatomycoses It was found that the frequency was significantly higher in the sport practicing population as a whole (p= 0.03) and, partlcularly, in the footwear-users (p= 0.004) and the barefooted (p= 0.04). Four of 389 cultures obtained from the shoes were positive for dermatophytes; the agents Isolated from the shoes were identical to those recovered from the corresponding persons. Thirteen cases of feet infection with a non-dermatophytic agent were found sensitivity of the direct examination was 17 .3% when compared with the culture. It is postulated that heat and humidity generated by footwear wearing favorably Influence the appearance of mycotic infections in feet.