Abstract: 【Abstract】 Objective To analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of sporotrichosis in Henan Province over the past 15 years. Methods Clinical data were collected from patients diagnosed with sporotrichosis in the Department of Dermatology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital from 2008 to 2023, and were retrospectively analyzed. Preserved clinical isolates were identified by molecular biological methods. Results A total of 83 patients with sporotrichosis were collected, including 32 males and 51 females. Their age （M［Q1, Q3］） was 59 （50, 69） years, with the range being 2 - 88 years; the majority of patients were aged > 40 years （70 cases, 84.3%）; the disease duration ranged from 1 to 24 months （mean: 6.9 months）; 65 patients （78.3%） resided in rural areas; among the 71 adult patients, the majority were farmers （54 cases, 76.1%）; 28 patients （33.7%） had a definite history of trauma. The main seasons of disease onset were autumn （37 cases, 44.6%） and spring （20 cases, 24.1%）. In terms of geographic distribution, 25 patients were from Zhumadian, 16 from Zhoukou, 9 from Zhengzhou, and 8 from Pingdingshan. Skin lesions were located on the upper limbs in 55 cases, on the face in 22 cases, on the lower limbs in 4 cases, as well as on the neck in 2 cases. In addition, skin lesions presented in various forms, including erythema, swelling, papules, nodules, plaques, and ulcers. The fixed type was the most common clinical type （52 cases, 62.7%）. There were significant differences in lesional sites and clinical types between adult and pediatric patients （both P < 0.001）. Treatment involved oral administration of terbinafine, itraconazole, or 10% potassium iodide; 58 patients （69.9%） completed follow?up and were all cured, with a treatment duration of 3.4 ± 0.7 months. A total of 21 clinical isolates were reactivated, and rDNA internal transcribed spacer region sequencing and calmodulin gene sequencing showed that the pathogenic species were all Sporothrix globosa. Conclusions Sporotrichosis predominantly affected individuals aged > 40 years in Henan Province, especially agricultural workers. The lesions mainly occurred on exposed areas, particularly the upper limbs, followed by the face. Patients often presented with multiple types of skin lesions simultaneously, with the fixed type being the most common. Distinct regional characteristics were observed, with cases concentrated in the southern part of Henan Province. The causative species was identified as Sporothrix globosa.

Key words: Sporotrichosis, Sporothrix globosa, Clinical characteristics, Epidemiological analysis