Correlation of clinical patterns and microbiological features in dermatophytic infections:&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 1rem;">A cross-sectional study at a Tertiary Care Centre in Chengalpattu</span>

Background: Dermatophytosis is a common superficial fungal infection caused mainly by Trichophyton, Microsporum, and Epidermophyton species. In India, an epidemiological shift has been observed with increasing chronic, recurrent, and steroid-modified infections, and a rising predominance of Trichophyton mentagrophytes over T. rubrum. This study aimed to evaluate the clinico-mycological profile of dermatophytosis and assess the correlation between clinical patterns and fungal isolates in a tertiary care setting in Tamil Nadu.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted over six months (January–July 2025) among 100 clinically diagnosed cases of dermatophytosis. Skin scrapings were examined using a 10% potassium hydroxide (KOH) mount and cultured on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar with chloramphenicol and cycloheximide. Fungal isolates were identified based on standard morphological criteria. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test, with p0.05), whereas KOH positivity correlated significantly with culture growth (p