Inappropriate Use of Steroids in Superficial Dermatophytosis: An Uncommon Case of Erythroderma.

Erythroderma is a dermatological emergency presenting with generalized erythema and scaling involving <90% of the body surface.1 There are various causes of erythroderma, such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, phytophotodermatitis, pityriasis rubra pilaris, pemphigus foliaceus, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, and drug eruptions.2 However, erythroderma induced by dermatophytosis is encountered rarely. We, here, describe a case of erythroderma developed secondary to extensive dermatophytosis.

Dermatophytomas in Onychomycosis: A Scoping Review of Prevalence, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Dermatophytoma, also described as a longitudinal streak/spike, is a form of onychomycosis that presents as yellow/white streaks or patches in the subungual space, with dense fungal masses encased in biofilm. This scoping review of the literature was conducted to address a general lack of information about the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of dermatophytomas in onychomycosis. METHODS: A search was performed in the PubMed and Embase databases for the terms "longitudinal spike" or "dermatophytoma." Outcomes of interest were definition, prevalence, methods used for diagnosis, treatments, and treatment efficacy. Inclusion and exclusion of search results required agreement between two independent reviewers. RESULTS: Of a total of 51 records, 37 were included. Two reports provided the first unique definitions/clinical features of dermatophytomas. Overall, many descriptions were found, but one conclusive definition was lacking. Prevalence data were limited and inconsistent. The most frequently mentioned diagnostic techniques were clinical assessment, potassium hydroxide/microscopy, and fungal culture/mycology. Oral terbinafine and topical efinaconazole 10% were the most frequently mentioned treatments, followed by topical luliconazole 5% and other oral treatments (itraconazole, fluconazole, fosravuconazole). In studies with five or more patients without nail excision, cure rates were highest with efinaconazole 10%, which ranged from 41% to 100% depending on the clinical and/or mycologic assessment evaluated. Other drugs with greater than or equal to 50% cure rates were topical luliconazole 5% (50%), oral fosravuconazole (57%), and oral terbinafine (67%). In studies that combined oral terbinafine treatment with nail excision using surgical or chemical (40% urea) methods, cure rates ranged from 50% to 100%. CONCLUSIONS: There is little published information regarding dermatophytomas in onychomycosis. More clinical research and physician education are needed. Although dermatophytomas have historically been considered difficult to treat, the efficacy data gathered in this scoping review have demonstrated that newer topical treatments are effective, as are oral antifungals in combination with chemical or surgical methods.

Expert Panel Review of Skin and Hair Dermatophytoses in an Era of Antifungal Resistance.

Dermatophytoses are fungal infections of the skin, hair, and nails that affect approximately 25% of the global population. Occlusive clothing, living in a hot humid environment, poor hygiene, proximity to animals, and crowded living conditions are important risk factors. Dermatophyte infections are named for the anatomic area they infect, and include tinea corporis, cruris, capitis, barbae, faciei, pedis, and manuum. Tinea incognito describes steroid-modified tinea. In some patients, especially those who are immunosuppressed or who have a history of corticosteroid use, dermatophyte infections may spread to involve extensive skin areas, and, in rare cases, may extend to the dermis and hair follicle. Over the past decade, dermatophytoses cases not responding to standard of care therapy have been increasingly reported. These cases are especially prevalent in the Indian subcontinent, and Trichophyton indotineae has been identified as the causative species, generating concern regarding resistance to available antifungal therapies. Antifungal-resistant dermatophyte infections have been recently recognized in the United States. Antifungal resistance is now a global health concern. When feasible, mycological confirmation before starting treatment is considered best practice. To curb antifungal-resistant infections, it is necessary for physicians to maintain a high index of suspicion for resistant dermatophyte infections coupled with antifungal stewardship efforts. Furthermore, by forging partnerships with federal agencies, state and local public health agencies, professional societies, and academic institutions, dermatologists can lead efforts to prevent the spread of antifungal-resistant dermatophytes.

Widespread dermatophytosis in a healthy adolescent: the first report of multidrug-resistant Trichophyton indotineae infection in the UAE.

A multidrug-resistant dermatophyte species recently arose in India, first described as terbinafine-resistant Trichophyton interdigitale and soon given a separate name: T. indotineae. Thanks to its treatment recalcitrance, person-to-person spread, and frequent travel, before long it was identified in many countries on all continents. We describe here the case of a boy with widespread, extremely pruritic, inflammatory dermatophytosis affecting his face, neck, trunk, and extremities, unsuccessfully treated for months with oral terbinafine and fluconazole and a range of topical antimycotics. Qualitative polymerase chain reaction of skin scrapings from his lesions identified a T. interdigitale complex fungus, highly probably T. indotineae due to conspecificity and antifungal resistance. Oral itraconazole, administered over 8 weeks, cleared the infection. Because the patient had not traveled outside the United Arab Emirates for months before the infection became obvious, it must have been acquired from a local source.

Identification of Familial Infections Using Multilocus Microsatellite Typing in Tinea Corporis due to Microsporum canis.

Microsporum canis is a type of dermatophyte that causes zoonotic dermatophytosis in cats and dogs. We report three cases of tinea corporis due to M. canis from a single household with a domestic cat as a pet. The cases included a woman in her thirties (mother), a girl in her teens (older sister), and a girl in her teens (younger sister). Following sudden hair loss in the domestic cat, annular erythema with pruritus and scales appeared on the face, neck, and limbs of the older sister, younger sister, and mother, sequentially; they subsequently visited our hospital. Potassium hydroxide direct microscopy revealed filamentous fungi on all three women. In addition, short-haired colonies with a white to yellowish-white color and extending in a radial manner were found in cultures using a flat plate agar medium. A slide culture with the same medium indicated pointed spindle-shaped macroconidia with 7-8 septa. Therefore, the cases were diagnosed as tinea corporis due to M. canis. Genetic analysis of the cells of the cat and the mother, older sister, and younger sister using multilocus microsatellite typing (MLMT) indicated that all cases were classified into the same genotype, suggesting that the transmission route of these cases was familial. Here, we show that MLMT is useful in identifying the infection route in cases of tinea corporis due to M. canis.

A Case of Tinea Faciei due to Trichophyton indotineae with Steroid Rosacea Related to Topical Over-The-Counter Drugs Purchased Outside of Japan.

A Filipino woman in her forties had facial erythema that was being self-treated with over-the-counter (OTC) drugs purchased outside of Japan. The drugs included clobetasol propionate, antibiotic, and antifungal components. Her facial erythema symptoms were worse during summertime. KOH direct examination of annular erythema was positive for fungal hyphae and negative for Demodex folliculorum. Fungal culture revealed Trichophyton indotineae based on internal transcribed spacer sequence analysis. Minimal inhibitory concentration for terbinafine was 0.06 µg/mL. We made a diagnosis of tinea faciei with steroid rosacea. We treated the patient with oral itraconazole. Physicians should be aware of increasing T. indotineae infections and increasing self-medication using topical OTC steroids combined with antifungals and antibiotics not only in India but also among foreign people living in other countries such as Japan.

A clinical prevalence of dermatophytic mycoses with an assessment of its clinical manifestations in a tertiary care hospital at Salem, South India.

BACKGROUND: Dermatophytosis is very common among all age groups throughout the world. The incidence of the same is increasing on a steady basis. AIM: Estimating the clinical prevalence of dermatophytes mycoses among the patients visiting the outpatient unit and assessing its distinct manifestations. METHODOLOGY: A prospective observational study was conducted with the patients attending the Skin and STD outpatient unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Salem. A total of 3068 outpatients attended the department, of which 420 patients were diagnosed with dermatophytic mycoses and were taken for investigating the prevalence. RESULTS: A total of 420 dermatophytosis patients were included giving a percentage prevalence of 13.69%. There were more female patients (n = 213, 50.71%) than males (n = 207, 49.29%). The most common afflicted age group was 31-40 years (n = 99, 50.71%). Most of the patients had an atypical lesion called tinea incognita (n = 265, 63.09%) where there was no typical classic appearance of dermatophytic infections. The most prevalent clinical manifestation was tinea corporis (n = 73, 17.38%) followed by tinea cruris (n = 69, 16.43%). There were more newly diagnosed dermatophytosis cases (n = 326) than the previously diagnosed cases (n = 94). CONCLUSION: This study concludes that dermatophytic mycoses were more prevalent among females than males and among the age groups of 31-40 years. The most common clinical presentation was tinea incognita followed by tinea corporis.

Identification of primary metabolites in fungal species of Trichophyton mentagrophyte and Trichophyton rubrum by NMR spectroscopy.

BACKGROUND: Superficial mycoses are fungal infections limited to the outermost layers of the skin and its appendages. The chief causative agents of these mycoses are dermatophytes and yeasts. The diagnosis of dermatophytosis can be made by direct mycological examination with potassium hydroxide (10%-30%) of biological material obtained from patients with suspected mycosis, providing results more rapid than fungal cultures, which may take days or weeks. This information, together with clinical history and laboratory diagnosis, ensures that the appropriate treatment is initiated promptly. However, false negative results are obtained in 5%-15%, by conventional methods of diagnosis of dermatophytosis. OBJECTIVES: To study the metabolic profiles of the commonly occurring dermatophytes by NMR spectroscopy. PATIENTS/MATERIALS: We have used 1D and 2D Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) experiments along with Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) and Chenomx database search for identification of primary metabolites in the methanol extract of two fungal species: Trichophyton mentagrophyte (T. mentagrophyte) and Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum). Both standard strains and representative number of clinical isolates of these two species were investigated. Further, metabolic profiles obtained were analysed using multivariate analysis. RESULTS: We have identified 23 metabolites in the T. mentagrophyte and another 23 metabolites in T. rubrum. Many important metabolites like trehalose, proline, mannitol, acetate, GABA and several other amino acids were detected, which provide the necessary components for fungal growth and metabolism. Altered metabolites were defined between Trichophyton mentagrophyte and T. rubrum strains. CONCLUSION: We have detected many metabolites in the two fungal species T. mentagrophyte and T. rubrum by using NMR spectroscopy. NMR spectroscopy provides a holistic snapshot of the metabolome of an organism. Key metabolic differences were identified between the two fungal strains. We need to perform more studies on metabolite profiling of the samples from these species for their rapid diagnosis and prompt treatment.

Case Report: Diagnosing Dermatophytoses in Children.

Dermatophytoses of the skin and scalp are common disorders in the pediatric population. The resemblance of the clinical presentation to other dermatoses can make fungal infections challenging to diagnose. We present three cases of dermatophytoses in children. The presence of fungi within skin lesions was confirmed in all cases. The diagnoses were "id" reaction in response to Trichophyton tonsurans infection, Kerion celsi because of Microsporum canis infection, and hair loss during microsporosis. Based on our review and clinical experience, we suggest diagnostic paths and treatments for dermatophytoses in children.

Deep-seated dermatophytosis caused by Trichophyton rubrum in patient with Becker muscular dystrophy.

Trichophyton rubrum is a common fungal pathogen that usually causes superficial infection limited to epidermis only, so called dermatophytosis. However in immunocompromised patients, dermatophytosis can be exceptionally more invasive with extensive lesions involving deep tissues and generating sometimes systemic course. We report the case of a 43-year-old heart transplanted man, who presented with multiple deep-seated nodules and papules in the inguinal areas and in the buttocks. Involvement of Trichophyton rubrum was confirmed by culture, DNA sequencing and histological examination that showed granulomatous inflammatory infiltrates with the presence of hyphae in the dermis. Antifungal therapy with oral terbinafine for four weeks was successful; in spite of initial remnant atrophic scars, the lesions were completely cleared after four month evolution. Deep-seated invasive dermatophytosis is rare, but should be considered with immunocompromised conditions, especially when history of previous superficial dermatophytosis is present.

The Persistence of Nystatin Use for Dermatophyte Infections.

BACKGROUND: Despite the limited use of nystatin for tinea infections, physicians may continue to use it. METHODS: We assessed the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey for all to determine the extent of topical nystatin use in tinea infections. RESULTS: Topical nystatin was used at 4.3% (2.1%, 6.0%) of all tinea infection visits. It was not used at visits with dermatologists and was most common among family medicine physicians (P=.02). DISCUSSION: Physicians are continuing to use nystatin for the treatment of tinea infections. Dermatologists have discontinued this treatment regimen, whereas other specialties have an opportunity to further improve their knowledge in this regard. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(12):e49-e50.     doi:10.36849/JDD.5606e.

PCR-based methods in detection and identification of dermatophytes in dogs and cats with suspected dermatophytosis in 2021 in Poland.

Dermatophytes from Microsporum, Trichophyton and Epidermophyton genera are divided into geophilic, zoophilic and anthropophilic species which cause skin infection in humans and wide group of animals, mainly mammals. Main species causing dermatophytosis in dogs and cats are Microsporum and Trichophyton. Conventional mycological diagnostic technique includes Saburaud Dextrose Agar (SAD) and others medium cultures, 10% KOH mount and direct microscopy of hairs and scraping. Molecular diagnostic become more frequent in veterinary practice due to shortening of waiting time. In this study we based on two PCR methods. The nested PCR amplified CHS1 gene for dermatophytes detection, and multiplex PCR coding ITS1 and ITS2 fragments for species identification of detected derpatophytes. Most frequently detected species was Microsporum canis, mainly in young cats. Geophilic Microsporum gypseum and anthropophilic Trichophyton rubrum was found primarily in dogs. Molecular methods in dermatophytosis identification are rapid in contrast to routinely, long lasting culture.

Erythroderma combined with deeper dermal dermatophytosis due to Trichophyton rubrum in a patient with myasthenia gravis: first case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Dermatophytes are the most common causative pathogens of mycoses worldwide and usually cause superficial infections. However, they can enter deep into the dermis lead to invasive dermatophytosis such as deeper dermal dermatophytosis on rare occasions. Erythroderma is a severe dermatological manifestation of various diseases resulting in generalized skin redness, but erythroderma due to fungi infections is barely reported. In this article, we reported the first case of erythroderma combined with deeper dermal dermatophytosis due to Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum) in a patient with myasthenia gravis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 48-year-old man was hospitalized because of erythema with scaling and nodules covering his body for a month. The patient had a history of myasthenia gravis controlled by regularly taking prednisolone for > 10 years and accompanied by onychomycosis and tinea pedis lasting > 8 years. Based on histopathological examinations, fungal cultures, and DNA sequencing results, the patient was finally diagnosed with dermatophyte-induced erythroderma combined with deeper dermal dermatophytosis caused by T. rubrum. After 2 weeks of antifungal treatment, the patient had recovered well. CONCLUSIONS: This case report shows that immunosuppressed patients with long histories of superficial mycoses tend to have a higher risk of developing invasive dermatophytic infections or disseminated fungal infections. Dermatologists should be alert to this condition and promptly treat the superficial dermatophytosis.

Tinea universalis due to Trichophyton indotineae in an adult male.

Tinea universalis is a condition when most of the anatomical sites of body are involved due to dermatophyte infection both in immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Here we present a case of tinea universalis due to Trichophyton indotineae (T. indotineae) from India. This species has emerged recently. Earlier, it has been reported as Trichophyton mentagrophytes (T. mentagrophytes) and Trichophyton interdigitale (T. interdigitale). T. indotineae has been associated with outbreaks and epidemics of chronic, recalcitrant, and nonresponsive to terbinafine, in India and several other countries. The patient was prescribed Itraconazole (200 mg/day), Luliconazole cream topically and antihistamine at night, with marked improvement clinically. Easy availability and misuse of corticosteroids cream, as over-the-counter drug, should be discouraged.