In Vitro Antifungal Susceptibility Profiles of Dermatophytes Isolates from Tinea Capitis in Northwest, Nigeria

Background: The fungal infection of tinea capitis is a common mycosis that affects the scalp superficially, especially in children. Oral treatment of this infection remains the preferred treatment process in clinical dermatology. Many antifungals available for dermatophyte treatment lead to treatment failure. Determination of antifungal susceptibility of dermatophytes in-vitro has been reported to be important to curb dermatophyte infections using effective antifungal drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate and determine in vitro minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of amphotericin B, ketoconazole, griseofulvin, terbinafine, and fluconazole against dermatophyte clinical isolates using agar dilution method. Materials and Methods: In this study, in vitro susceptibilities of 32 dermatophyte clinical isolates collected from primary school pupils in Sokoto metropolis were investigated to five antifungals (fluconazole, terbinafine, ketoconzole, amphotericin B, and griseofulvin) using the CLSI agar dilution method. Findings: The results obtained revealed that griseofulvin and terbinafine were the most potent antifungal agents among those tested. Conclusion: Agar dilution method could be an alternative method for MIC-determination of antifungal drugs against dermatophyte species, since it is cost effective and affordable with consistent results, especially in developing countries.