Retrospective Epidemiology of Dermatomycosis in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, From 2000 to 2023.

Background: Although cutaneous mycoses are a global public health problem, very few data are available in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the retrospective clinical epidemiology of dermatomycosis and their associated risk factors in dermatological consultations in Kinshasa, DRC.

Methods: A retrospective study based on the medical records of patients seen in the departments of dermatology of 2 major hospitals in Kinshasa from March 2000 to August 2023 was carried out.

Evaluation of Currently Available Laboratory Methods to Detect Terbinafine Resistant Dermatophytes Including a Gradient Strip for Terbinafine, EUCAST Microdilution E.Def 11.0, a Commercial Real-Time PCR Assay, Squalene Epoxidase Sequencing and Whole Genome Sequencing.

Background: Terbinafine resistance in dermatophytes is an increasing problem worldwide. Several outbreaks of terbinafine-resistant dermatophytosis are currently occurring in India and surrounding countries, and these recent years, European countries have also been affected by this issue. Currently, antifungal susceptibility testing of dermatophytes is not routinely performed in clinical laboratories.

Screening for cryptococcal antigenemia and meningeal cryptococcosis, genetic characterization of Cryptococcus neoformans in asymptomatic patients with advanced HIV disease in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

We evaluated the prevalence of serum and meningeal cryptococcosis in asymptomatic outpatients with advanced HIV disease (CD4 < 200 cells/mm3) in a cross-sectional screening context in Kinshasa clinics (DRC). Lumbar puncture (LP) was performed in patients with positive serum cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) test, and Cryptococcus spp. isolated from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were identified by MALDI-TOF-MS, and characterized using serotyping-PCR, ITS-sequencing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST).

EchiNam: multicenter retrospective study on the experience, challenges, and pitfalls in the diagnosis and treatment of alveolar echinococcosis in Belgium.

Objectives: The aim of this retrospective study was to collect epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, imaging, management, and follow-up data on cases of alveolar echinococcosis (AE) diagnosed and/or followed up within the Namur Hospital Network (NHN) in order to gather information on the challenges, pitfalls, and overall experience in the diagnosis and treatment of AE.

Methods: EchiNam was a multicenter retrospective study. Patients diagnosed and/or treated for probable or confirmed AE in the NHN between 2002 and 2023 were included in the study.