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The authors have analyzed the results of cultures in Sabouraud's agar performed over a 20-year period in 6,000 patients with lesions of the skin, skin appendages and mucosae of suspected fungal origin. Throughout this period all patients, almost exclusively urban or suburban, were seen at the Dermatology out-patient consultation of a central city hospital. The 6,000 specimens were analyzed globally, with special attention to time-related changes in the 10 groups of 6,000 specimens each whenever a significant modification was observed. The analysis was divided into two parts: a review of the fungi isolated, of the manifestations they produced and of the time-related changes in their respective prevalence; a study of the fungi responsible for the main dermatological syndromes. Out of 6,000 cultures, 2,502 strains of pathogenic fungi were isolated, representing a growth rate coefficient of 41.66 p. 100. There were 1,237 dermatophytes and 1,265 yeasts of the Candida group. However, this overall impression of two equal groups gives a wrong idea of the changes that occurred during this long period. Figure 1 clearly shows that in 20 years the number of dermatophytes increased whereas the number of Candida decreased. Figures 2 and 3 demonstrate that the rise in dermatophytes was almost exclusively due to an increase in T. rubrum and the fall in yeasts, to a decrease in Candida albicans.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The authors make a survey of a series of a hundred Becker's nevi diagnosed in a recruiting center of the French National Service. It is a statistic study bearing on the male population, aged 17 to 26, in a French region which is supposed to be representative of the French male population of the same age. First of all the authors focus on the various clinical descriptions since this nevus was first described by Becker in 1949, then discuss the problems raised by pathogenic interpretation and the results of microscopic studies. About this lesion, usually said to be pigmentary and hairy, and generally appearing before 20 years of age, is still very little known. Then after a short explanation of their method of study the authors give original results. A hundred Becker's nevi were diagnosed among 19,302 young men, that is to say in a proportion of 0.52 p. 100. A study of the racial, genetic and pigmentary background doesn't enable to retain general causes but rather leads to think of local causes. Half of these Becker's nevi appeared before ten years of age, the other half appearing between 10 and 20. In only one quarter of the cases can the role of the sun be pointed out. The location of the nevi is variable; they are mainly situated on the trunk and only 32 p. 100 of them are located above nipples, which was believed to be the usual place of the lesion. Pigmentation in three quarter of the cases is light brown. The average surface is 125 cm2. Hairs can be seen in only a little more than half of the cases of no lesion associated to the nevus could be found. The study points out that Becker's nevi seem to be more various in their clinical expression and more pigment than could be thought through more classical description.

The fragility of epidermal cells in Hailey-Hailey's disease end even more in Darier's disease seems to favour the development of viral infections. The authors present six cases of herpes virus infections in three siblings with an intermediate form between Darier's disease and Hailey-Hailey's disease, both having a tendency to recur. One of the flares demonstrated signs of Kaposi and Juliusberg's pustulosis vacciniformis which is often found in the literature as a complication of Darier's disease. The authors discuss the frequency of the recurrences, which could be due to different viruses. Herpetic virus is often found, less frequently vaccinial virus, but sometimes also Coxsackie A 16 virus.