Dermatophytes

Fungal infections are unique cutaneous ectodermal fungi strictly  confined to nonliving epidermal tissues that possess the ability to degrade  keratin rich tissues e.g., the skin (the stratum corneum), hair, nails, horn.  Thus, the fungi causing cutaneous mycoses are called as “dermatophytosis  or dermatomycoses”. Since these fungi degrade keratin, they are also called  keratinophilic fungi. The terms superficial and cutaneous for brevity mean  that superficial mycoses are limited to stratum corneum whereas cutaneous  mycosis involve integument and its appendages hair and nails. Ringworm is  a popular name attributed to infection caused by these fungi.Dermatophytic  lesions on the skin are usually round, erythematous, and itchy due to the  inflammatory response triggered by the fungus and its metabolites (Hube et  al., 2015).