Tinea corporis due to Trichophyton rubrum in a Woman and Tinea capitis in her 15-Day-Old Baby: Molecular Evidence of Vertical Transmission

We report a case of a 40-year-old Caucasian woman who came under our observation with a 7-year history of a chronic erythematous scaly dermatitis, diagnosed as psoriasis, involving gluteal area and thighs, and treated with topical steroids without benefit. During pregnancy, a progressive worsening of her condition and an extension of cutaneous lesions were observed. Her newborn, a 15-day-old girl, presented a similar scaly and squamous lesion on her scalp. Mycological examination was positive for Trichophyton rubrum in both cases, and random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis confirmed the isogenicity of the two isolates. We performed a diagnosis of T. rubrum tinea corporis and tinea capitis. The case we describe illustrates an unusual clinical presentation of tinea corporis with remarkable extension of cutaneous lesions due to the diagnostic delay and the continuous use of local steroids, together with a rare tinea capitis in the newborn. Our experience highlights the possibility of mother-child transmission and the importance of an early diagnosis.     

面癣误诊1例

报道由须癣毛癣菌感染引起并被长期误诊的面癣1例。患者女,37岁,因"面部反复红斑、丘疹、水疱伴瘙痒半年"就诊。多次被误诊为单纯疱疹、脓疱疮、湿疹、皮肤感染、脂溢性皮炎及玫瑰痤疮等,先后应用抗病毒、抗感染和抗过敏治疗,皮损未能完全消退并逐渐扩大。再次就诊,真菌学直接镜检阳性,真菌培养为须癣毛癣菌。给予口服特比萘芬片、外用联苯苄唑乳膏治疗后痊愈。     

Exacerbated inflammatory reaction to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichophyton rubrum</Emphasis> infection on an HIV-positive patient successfully treated with fluconazole

A 33 year-old HIV-positive Brazilian female patient was diagnosed with a cutaneous inflammatory reaction on her left forearm. The lesion spread rapidly affecting most of her forearm. The clinical diagnosis of tinea corporis (ringworm) was confirmed by wet mount preparations on 20% KOH and by the isolation of Trichophyton rubrum on pure cultures. Treatment with Fluconazole for a period of four weeks successfully cured the infection.     

疑似红斑狼疮的面部难辨认癣1例

报告1例面部难辨认癣 患者为21岁女性,农民,由于长期外用糖皮质激素软膏而使局部皮损不典型,当地医师怀疑为红斑狼疮建议到我院做全面检查。病损标本真菌镜检发现菌丝,培养分离出须癣毛癣菌。免疫学检查排除红斑狼疮。病理检查在角质层及毛囊周围发现真菌菌丝。内服特比萘芬3周治愈。     

Microsporum canis Infection in Three Familial Cases with Tinea Capitis and Tinea Corporis

We report a familial infection caused by Microsporum canis. The first two patients were a 30-year-old female and her son, a 5-year-old boy, who came in contact with a pet dog at a farm house. The boy then suffered from hair loss for 3 months. There were circular and patchy alopecia with diffuse scaling on his scalp. Meanwhile, his mother also developed patchy erythema and scaling on her face. Several weeks later, the boy’s sister, a 4-year-old girl, was noted to have inconspicuous scaly plaques in the center of her scalp. The development of tinea capitis in the two children and tinea corporis in their mother were diagnosed based on the positive KOH examination. Morphologic characteristics and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacers 1 and 2, amplified from primary culture isolates, confirmed that their infections were caused by the zoophilic M. canis. Repetitive sequence-based molecular typing using the DiversiLab system secreted enzymatic activity analysis, and antifungal susceptibility indicated that these isolates might share the same source. The boy and girl were cured by the treatment with oral itraconazole and topical naftifine–ketoconazole cream after washing the hair with 2 % ketoconazole shampoo, and their mother was successfully treated by terbinafine orally in combination with topical application of naftifine–ketoconazole cream.     

A Special Tinea Nigra Caused by Curvularia lunata: Case Report and Literature Review

Tinea nigra is a superficial fungal infection usually caused by Hortaea werneckii (H. werneckii). We report a special case of tinea nigra in an immunocompetent child who developed a unilateral, rapidly growing pigmented lesion on her palm. Interestingly, Curvularia lunata (C. lunata) was isolated from the lesion scrapes and was identified by both morphological features and molecular biology methods. The lesion was completely cleared by topical naftifine hydrochloride and ketoconazole cream. We present—to the best of our knowledge—the first case of tinea nigra where the causative pathogen was identified as C. lunata. We therefore provide a brief literature review of previously reported cases of tinea nigra to broaden the knowledge of the potential causative pathogens. The etiology, demography, clinical features, diagnostic methods, and treatment of the reviewed cases are summarized and analyzed.

     

石膏样小孢子菌所致面部难辨认癣1例

报道1例由石膏样小孢子菌引起的面部难辨认癣。患者为青年女性,因右眼上眼睑及周围出现浸润性斑块2个月就诊。2个月前发疹部位有烫伤史。经真菌培养和病理检查确诊为“石膏样小孢子菌感染”。予伊曲康唑胶囊口服、外用特比萘芬乳膏1周后痊愈。     

Griseofulvin in the treatment of dermatomycoses and onychomycoses produced by dermatophytes of the Trichophyton group

Summary Based on observations on the therapy of 128 patients affected with tinea unguium, tinea manus et pedis, tinea granulomatosa nodularis (Granuloma Majocchi), tinea cruris, tinea corporis, tinea barbae and tinea capitis due to infection with dermatophytes of theTrichophyton group, determinations were made for the absolute and relative indication of griseofulvin in the treatment of these mycoses. For each affection, comparisons were made between the therapeutic results obtained by combined therapy with oral griseofulvin (uniform daily dose 1 g for each case) and local therapy with 1 % water solution organic dyes, coal tar on the one hand, and mere local therapy as described above, on the other. For treatment, griseofulvin of different production was available: British Grisovin, Likuden and Likuden M from West-Germany, and Griseofulvin produced in the German Democratic Republic. No essential differences were found in the therapeutic effect of the individual preparations, the tolerance, however, was found to be best with Likuden. On the basis of comparisons made for the results of the individual methods of treatment, griseofulvin therapy was found to be an absolute indication of the mycotic diseases as follows: tinea capitis, tinea cruris follicularis trichophytica and tinea unguium. A relative indication was found to be tinea corporis, tinea barbae, tinea cruris, and tinea manus et pedis.All patients were subjected to microscopic and culture examination. The frequency of the individual dermatophytes was as follows:Trichophyton rubrum in 56 cases,Trichophyton verrucosum in 19 cases,Trichophyton mentagrophytes in 16 cases, andTrichophyton violaceum in 1 case. Thirty six cases showed negative cultures.In conclusion, the author recommends individual selection of patients for the griseofulvin therapy.     

杭州部分地区头癣73例类型及病原菌分析

目的 了解近2年来杭州部分地区头癣类型及其病原菌分布情况。方法 采用回顾性方法对2003年5月～2005年4月在杭州市第三人民医院皮肤科门诊诊治的头癣患者进行分析。结果 73例头癣患者中白癣41例（56．16％）、黑癣23例（31．5％）、脓癣9例（12．33％）,未发现黄癣。51例行真菌培养。主要病原菌为犬小孢子菌22例（43．14％）、紫色毛癣菌17例（33．33％）、须癣毛癣菌8例（15．69％）、断发毛癣菌4例（7．84％）。结论 杭州地区头癣患者中白癣发病率占首位,犬小孢子菌为主要致病菌。     

Prevalence of Dermatophytoses in the Zarqa District of Jordan

A total of 350 clinically suspected cases of dermatomycoses were examined for causative fungi during July 1997 to September 1998. Mycotic infection was demonstrable by microscopy and culture in 199 (56.8%) cases. The most common superficial mycotic infections were tinea pedis (35.2%) followed by tinea capitis (23.1%), tinea unguium (21.6%) and tinea corporis (10.6%). Most of the infected patients were 1–9, 20–29 and 30–39 years old. Men were mainly infected with tinea cruris and tinea pedis, while women were infected with tinea pedis, tinea unguium and tinea capitis. The frequencies of etiological agents isolated from patients were as follows: Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. interdigitale (32.7%), T. rubrum (28.6%), Epidermophyton floccosum (20.1%), Microsporum canis (11.1%), T.schoenleinii (4%), T.verrucosum (2%), T.violaceum (1%), and M. gypseum (0.5%). The number of infections varied with the seasons. The highest number of cases of tinea pedis and tinea cruris occurred in the summer months, while tinea capitis, tinea corporis and tinea unguium occurred in the spring and winter months. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Epidemiology of dermatophytoses: retrospective analysis from 2005 to 2010 and comparison with previous data from 1975

Dermatophyte infections are extremely frequent worldwide and their epidemiological features vary according to the geographical area and have changed in the last decades. We studied the spectrum of dermatophytoses by means of a retrospective analysis involving 6,133 patients referred to the Mycology Service of the Dermatology Clinic of Policlinico Hospital - University of Bari, Italy during the period 2005-2010. The most frequent clinical forms were tinea unguium (39.2% of the total dermatophytoses), tinea corporis (22.7%) and tinea pedis (20.4%). There was a predominance of women for tinea unguium and corporis and of men for tinea pedis and especially tinea cruris. T. rubrum was the prevalent causative agent, implicated in 64% of total cases, followed by M. canis (14%) and T. mentagrophytes (10%). The retrospective evaluation of epidemiological data collected at our Clinic since 1975 showed a gradual decrease in the frequency of tinea cruris, tinea corporis, and tinea capitis over time. On the contrary, during the past two decades, there has been a progressive increase in the frequency of tinea pedis and especially of tinea unguium. In parallel with this changing pattern, the frequency of isolation of T. rubrum has shown a continuous increase during the last 35 years, whereas a progressive decline of the etiological role of T. violaceum, M. canis and even more of E. floccosum has been noted.     

Clinical and epidemiological survey of dermatophytoses in Jaen (Spain)

Prevalence of dermatophytosis, with respect to age and sex and dermatophyte species, in Jaen was investigated during a period of three years (1996-1999). The prevalence of dermatophytosis over three years was 4.48 cases / 1000 inhabitants. The isolated species were: Microsporum canis (48.6%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (27.1%), Epidermophyton floccosum (10%), Trichophyton rubrum (8.6%), Trichophyton violaceum (4.3%), and Microsporum gypseum (1.4%). The most frequently observed dermatophytoses were tinea corporis (62.8%), followed by tinea capitis (12.8%); other clinical forms encountered were, in decreasing order of frequency, tinea cruris, tinea pedis and tinea unguium, tinea faciei and tinea barbae. Men were more affected than women.     

New data on the epidemiology of Tinea cruris in Israel

Among 250 patients with tinea cruris (160 males, 90 females) lesions of both tinea pedis and tinea unguium were found in 221 and lesions of only tinea pedis in another 25. The four children were free of associated dermatophytic lesions. The predominant causative agent was T. rubrum, which was also found to be responsible for the hairy area invasion of the beard and pubis in 12 patients and for the widespread lesions of tinea corporis in 10 patients with lymphoma. None of these patients had noticed the discrete nail and foot involvement. It is therefore recommended that all patients with tinea cruris be subjected to careful examination of all possible mycotic foci, particularly the feet and nails.     

亚热带地区部队皮肤真菌病及其病原菌的调查研究

亚热带地区是皮肤真菌病的高发地区,据报道,云南边防某部皮肤真菌病发病率为57.8％,占皮肤病发病率的第一位,美军在越南战争期间,发生的所有皮肤病中,最常见的是皮肤真菌感染,而且造成了非战斗减员。战争后期,美军把皮肤病的防治作为其疾病防治的重点。因此,我们于1992年10月底对海南地区部队皮肤真菌病的发病情况进行了流行病学凋查,并对皮肤真菌病的病原菌进行了分离鉴定,现报告如下。     

误诊2年的左上臂难辨认体癣1例

报道1例由须癣毛癣菌引起的难辨认体癣。患者女,45岁,左臂伸侧多处红斑、丘疹伴脱屑、瘙痒2a余。曾多次就医诊断不明,患处皮损取活检做病理检查倾向于＂银屑病＂但疗效不佳。刮取皮屑镜检见真菌菌丝,小培养见葡萄串状小分生孢子及螺旋菌丝,尿素酶试验阳性,毛发穿孔试验阳性,鉴定为须癣毛癣菌。经内服特比萘芬和外用萘替芬酮康唑乳膏治疗28d后皮损消退,复查真菌阴性。     

The Epidemiology of Tinea Manuum in Nanchang Area, South China

Tinea manuum is a common superficial fungal infection which is usually coexistent with tinea pedis; there are few studies available on the epidemiology of tinea manuum at present. This study aims to investigate the epidemiology of tinea manuum and its correlation with tinea pedis in south China. A total of 280 patients with tinea manuum were recruited. The epidemiological and clinical data were analyzed, and causative agents were isolated and identified mycologically. Totally, 84.3 % patients with tinea manuum had co-occurrence of tinea pedis, among which 88.4 % patients had experience of scratching their feet. There was a significant relationship between the touch habits and the hand infection (χ² = 65.451, P = 0.000). More than 90 % patients had quite the same species of isolates from multiple infected sites in one patient. Therefore, it seems that transmission of dermatophytes from the feet to hand by scratching might be a most common way. As for tinea manuum, whether “unilateral” or “bilateral” is just the result that pathogens spread from feet to hand(s), which is only a special clinical presentation of tinea.     

无锡地区293例儿童浅部真菌病临床分析

目的研究无锡地区儿童浅部真菌病的流行及病原菌特点。方法采用真菌镜检和含氯霉素(和含氯霉素及放线菌酮)的葡萄糖蛋白胨琼脂培养,根据菌落形态及其镜下形态鉴定菌种。结果 293例临床诊断患儿中,直接镜检阳性245例,阳性率83.6%,其中皮肤念珠菌病、足癣、头癣发病例数居前3位,分别为79例(32.2%)、50例(20.4%)和46例(18.8%),共175例,占总病例数的71.4%,其次分别为体癣、甲真菌病、手癣、股癣、花斑糠疹,分别为29例(11.8%)、13例(5.3%)、11例(4.5%)、10例(4.1%)、7例(2.9%)。随着年龄增长,患儿易患疾病有所差异,花斑糠疹0～2岁发病率最高;皮肤念珠菌病0～3岁发病率最高;头癣4～8岁发病率最高;体股癣、手、足癣9～15岁发病率最高。238例镜检阳性标本(7例花斑糠疹除外)共培养出致病菌145株,阳性率为60.9%,其中皮肤念珠菌病培养阳性率为70.9%,股癣70%,体癣51.7%,甲真菌病53.8%,头癣65.2%,足癣50%,手癣45.5%。在145株致病菌中,念珠菌属63例(43.45%),红色毛癣菌43例(29.7%),犬小孢子菌26例(17.93%),须癣毛癣菌4例(2.76%),紫色毛癣菌3例(2.07%),石膏样小孢子菌3例(2.07%),断发毛癣菌2例(1.38%),絮状表皮癣菌1例(0.69%)。结论本研究为无锡地区防治儿童浅部真菌病提供了依据。     

趾间型足癣患者细菌菌种分布特征

目的了解趾间型足癣患者趾间和健康志愿者趾间细菌菌种分布特征。方法对37例经临床和真菌镜检确诊的趾间型足癣患者的趾间进行细菌培养,然后给予1%联苯苄唑霜1次/d外用治疗4周,在治疗后的第1、2、4周分别对趾间再进行细菌培养。33例健康志愿者作为对照。结果健康志愿者趾间细菌培养葡萄球菌属占92.5%,其中表皮葡萄球菌占32.5%,未分离到金黄色葡萄球菌。趾间型足癣患者细菌培养葡萄球菌属占74.4%,其中金黄色葡萄球菌占27.9%,表皮葡萄球菌仅占2.3%,还分离到化脓性链球菌、粪肠球菌、屎肠球菌、奇异变形杆菌、铜绿假单胞菌等。经过4周的外用联苯苄唑霜治疗,金黄色葡萄球菌消失,表皮葡萄球菌又成为优势菌（37.5%）。结论趾间型足癣患者趾间金黄色葡萄球菌的分离率明显高,此乃足癣继发细菌感染的主要致病菌,因此积极治疗足癣对预防足癣合并症有非常重要的意义。     

Multicentric and localized tineas in immunocompromised patients

From the dermatological point of view, multifocal or multicentric tineas are widespread dermatophytic infections affecting two or more anatomical areas. In the immunosuppressed patient, these lesions are frequently atypical and the risk factors are not well established. The aims of this study were: to determine the risk factors associated to multicentric tinea in immunocompromised patients; to evaluate the immune response by trichophytin and candidin skin test, to determine the etiological agent and to quantify some serum interleukines. Thirty-six multicentric tinea and 37 localized tinea patients, both with immunocompromised factors, were included. By means of a questionnaire several risk factors were identified; the trichophytin and candidin skin test was evaluated after 48 hours. Mycological direct examination and culture were performed. The interleukins IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and interferon gamma were quantified by ELISA. Statistical analysis was made by Chi-square, U Mann Whitney and logistic regression. In disseminated tinea patients a predominance of females (69%) versus localized tinea patients (30%) was observed. Prednisone, azathioprine and cyclophosphamide treatment was associated to multicentric tinea. Trichophytin was negative in all disseminated tinea patients and positive in only three localized tinea cases, candidin was positive in six and eight cases of multicentric and localized tinea respectively. Trichophyton rubrum was the most frequent etiological agent. No differences in interleukin concentrations were found. Female gender and some immunosuppressor treatments were associated with a high probability to develop multicentric tinea. In this study a defect in the cellular immune response was the possible explanation for the extensive reactions.     

A study of 3891 cases of mycoses in the tropics.

4103 cases suspected of mycoses were analysed as to sex, age and site of disease and 3891 were proved cases. This group formed 50% of total mycoses or 13-93% of all dermatoses recorded in the Government General Hospital, Madras, during the period of study. There were 66-26% adult female, 27-6% adult male and 6-14% were below 13 years. Dermatophytoses were found in 73-5%; the other common diseases were tinea versicolor (17-68%) and candidiasis (12-43%). Multiple sites of involvement or more than 1 disease in the same individual were mostly observed. The incidence of piedra (0-1%) and deep mycoses (0-156%) was very low. Mycetoma was the common disease (5/6) in deep mycoses. In dermatophytoses, tinea corporis (49-71%) and tinea cruris (47-85%) commonest; tinea axillaris (3-42%), tinea capitis (1-72%) and tinea barbae (1-29%) were less common. The incidence of tinea manuum, tinea pedis and tinea unguium was similar (4-97%-6-38%). High temperature and humidity were related to the higher incidence of tinea corporis, tinea cruris and tinea versicolor. Mainly children suffered from tinea capitis. All other mycoses were commonly found in adults between 2nd and 3rd decades. In all mycoses but candidiasis, female predominated. Cutaneous candidiasis was mainly a problem of housewives. Among the dermatophytes Trichophyton violaceum was predominant (33-7%) followed by T. rubrum (32-6%). Trichophyton schoenleinii and M. gypseum were rarely isolated. From mycetoma, Madurella mycetomii, Nocardia braziliensis, N. asteroides and Actinomadura spp. were isolated. Demonstration of Cryptococcus laurentii in 1 case is reported in this area for the first time.