Absence of Reported cases of Microsporum ferrugineum, Trichophyton violaceum, and Trichophyton schoenleinii in South Korea

Dermatophytosis is a skin disorder caused by dermatophytes. Dermatophytes isolated in South Korea include Trichophyton (T.) rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, T. verrucosum, T. tonsurans, T. violaceum, T. schoenleinii, Microsporum (M.) canis, M. ferrugineum, M. gypseum, and Epidermophyton floccosum. T. tonsurans was first found in South Korea in 1992. In contrast, there have been no recent reported cases of T. violaceum, T. schoenleinii, and M. ferrugineum in South Korea. Population mobility, changes in human lifestyles, development of the healthcare system, and the introduction of antifungals have brought about dermatophyte evolution in the skin microenvironment. We have reviewed the cases of dermatophytosis caused by M. ferrugineum, T. violaceum, and T. schoenleinii reported both in South Korea and globally.