Abstract

Background: Tinea faciei(TF) is a dermatophytosis of the non-beard areas of the face. Its clinical features may be similar to that of contact dermatitis, discoid lupus erythematosus, polymorphous light eruption or seborrheic dermatitis. A differential diagnosis should be considered for these. It is important to find hyphae through potassium hydroxide (KOH) preparation.

Objective: The purpose was to evaluate clinical characteristics and mycological findings of TF.

Methods: Clinical charts of 93 patients with TF were reviewed. KOH preparation (+) and/or culture (+) from the skin lesions confirmed the diagnosis of TF.

Result & Conclusions: Patients with TF were most prevalent under 10 years old, and relatively even in 20s to 50s. Overall male to female ratio was 1.07:1, but differed in each age groups; male was predominant in age groups of 20s, 40s and 50s, while female in age groups of 30s and over 60. Most (74.3%) of the lesion was single and the cheek (32%) was the most frequently involved site, followed by the nose, periorbital area, chin, ear, forehead and perioral area in decreasing order. 29 patients (31.2%) had coexistent dermatophytosis in other areas of the body; tinea pedis et unguium (17.2%), tinea corporis (8.6%), tinea capitis (5.4%). 38 patients (86.4%) were treated for contact dermatitis and eczema by primary care physician before the diagnosis of TF. KOH preparation from the lesions showed positive for 95.7% of the patients. 46 strains (49.5%) were identified from the 93 patients. They were Trichophyton(T.) rubrum (65.2%), T. mentagrophytes (26.1%), Microsporum canis (6.5%) and T. verrucosum (2.2%). All of these findings suggest that localized erythematous facial lesions and if there is no response to treatment of dermatitis, examination for fungus should be considered.

Keywords

Clinical characteristics Tinea faciei Mycological findings

KJMM 2005 September;10(3):91-100(10). Epub 2016 February 20
Copyright © 2005 by Korean Journal of Medical Mycology

Language

Korean/English

Author

Woo Jin Kim; Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea
Dong Hoon Shin; Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea
Jong Soo Choi; Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea
Ki Hong Kim; Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea

Corresponding

Ki Hong Kim, Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea. Tel: (053) 620-3160, Fax: (053) 622-2216, e-mail: khkim@med.yu.ac.kr

Publication history

Acknowledgements

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Woo Jin Kim

Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea

Dong Hoon Shin

Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea

Jong Soo Choi

Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea

Ki Hong Kim

Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea

Since epub date 2016 February 20