Background: Although there have been many studies about onychomycosis, no study about Koreans
in onychomycosis has been reported in Korea.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the onychomycosis in Koreans.
Methods: From April, 2009, to March, 2010, 1,893 patients with onychomycosis who visited the
department of dermatology at 10 university hospitals were evaluated.
Results: Of 1,893 patients with onychomycosis, 93.8% were toenail onychomycosis, 2.2% fingernail
onychomycosis, and 4.0% onychomycosis in both toenails and fingernails. Among the age groups, the
incidence rate was highest over the sixties (35.6%). The ratio of male to female patients was 1.3:1. Distal
and lateral subungual onychomycosis (80.3%) was the most common clinical type of onychomycosis.
Combination therapy of oral terbinafine or itraconazole and topical amorolfine nail lacquer was most
common in the treatment of onychomycosis. The most common reasons for combination therapy in
onychomycosis were higher cure rate due to synergistic activity (40.2%), followed by shortened treatment
duration (12.8%), patient compliance (12.3%), and prevention of recurrence and reinfection (1.7%).
Conclusion: Because of the increase in onychomycosis, we suggest the need of standard treatment
guidelines for Korean patients with onychomycosis