These guidelines for management of onychomycosis have been prepared for dermatologists on behalf of the British Association of Dermatologists. Onychomycosis is one of the commonest dermatological conditions. Increasing publicity about disease prevalence and the advent of new and more effective antifungal drugs has led to a greater enthusiasm among sufferers to seek treatment and among medical practitioners to institute therapy .
Onychomycosis is an infection of the nail apparatus by fungi that include dermatophytes, nondermatophyte moulds, and yeasts. The toenails are affected in 80% of all cases of onychomycosis; dermatophyte infection, mostly due to Trichophyton rubrum , is the cause in over 90% of cases. However, treatment is often prescribed without mycological confirmation of infection, there may be confusion as to whether fungi isolated from culture are primary or secondary…
