Onychomycosis in Icelandic swimmers

• Main Authors: Gudnadottir, G, Hilmarsdottir, I, Sigurgeirsson, B
• Other Authors: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Iceland, Reykjavík.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Society for the Publication of Acta Dermato-Venereologica 2008
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Female; Foot Dermatoses; Humans; Iceland; Male; Middle Aged; Onychomycosis; Prevalence; Sex Factors; Swimming
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2336/47114

To access publisher full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field We investigated visitors to a swimming pool in Reykjavik to determine whether onychomycosis of the toenails is more prevalent in swimmers than in the general population, where the prevalence is believed to be between 3 and 8%. A total of 266 swimmers over the age of 17 years were interviewed and examined. When an onychomycosis was suspected a nail specimen was taken for mycological examination. Onychomycosis was clinically suspected in 105 cases (40%). In 60 cases (23%) a dermatophyte infection was confirmed by culture and 14 cases (5%) were microscopy-positive only. The prevalence of culture-positive onychomycosis was 15% in women and 26% in men. Our results suggest that onychomycosis of the toenails is at least 3 times more prevalent in swimmers than in the rest of the population.