Incidence of Local Candida albicans Infection Among Infants Having Infantile Seborrhoeic Dermatitis

Infantile Seborrhoeic Dermatitis (ISD) is a skin disorder in infants usually started before the age of three months .It is characterized by inflammation and desquamation in areas with a rich supply of sebaceous glands. The favorable response to antifungal therapy in Seborrhoeic Dermatitis may indicate a role for fungal infections in these conditions. This study aimed to identify the interrelation between ISD and Candida-albicans infection infants attending Dermatology clinic in Mosul city, who had a clinical picture of ISD were included in this study. Healthy infants with similar age and sex were concurrent controls. The study population was divided in to two groups: 1. Group I: 135 infants presented with ISD. 2. Group II: 150 healthy infants. In all patients and controls, Samples were taken with a curette from the forehead and the temporal area. Direct KOH was +ve in 51% of Group I while only in 4% of Group II. Cultures for Candida-albicans were +ve 33% of Group I, and 5.33% of Group II. It is concluded that the presence of high percentage of invasion by Candida-albicans in this study may indicate either a significant role for these microorganisms in the pathogenesis of the lesions of ISD, or it may indicate a superadded infection (due to presence of high amount of lipid secretion in these patients compared to controls).