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Medical Mycology Case Reports Mar 2024Tinea capitis is a chronic fungal infection of the scalp occurring commonly in children of school age, especially in developing countries. It is caused primarily by the...
Tinea capitis is a chronic fungal infection of the scalp occurring commonly in children of school age, especially in developing countries. It is caused primarily by the dermatophyte members of genera and . Here we report presence of free-living mycelial stage of dermatophytes, a stage of fungal growth which form in culture medias, around affected hairs and skin scrapings of scalp lesions in a 3-year-old boy presenting with alopecia and multiple scaly, non-erythematous plaques. On direct microscopy examination using 10 % potassium hydroxide, the fungal hyphae and arthrospores were detected in ectothrix form. In addition, we also observed numerous multicellular, thick-walled spindle-shaped macroconidia around hairs and skin scrapings. To our knowledge this is the first study reporting dermatophyte's macroconidia directly seen on clinical samples. Species level identification of the dermatophyte isolate growing on Mycosel™ agar was confirmed by PCR-sequencing of internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal RNA as The patient was successfully treated with systemic itraconazole combined with topical ketoconazole shampoo.
PubMed: 38369987
DOI: 10.1016/j.mmcr.2024.100629 -
Mycopathologia Oct 2023Tinea capitis is a cutaneous infection of dermatophytes and predominant in children. It is one of common infectious diseases of children in Xinjiang, particularly in the...
Tinea capitis is a cutaneous infection of dermatophytes and predominant in children. It is one of common infectious diseases of children in Xinjiang, particularly in the southern Xinjiang. The aim of this study is to analyze the clinical and mycological characteristics of patients with tinea capitis in Xinjiang China. Medical records from 2010 to 2021, Mycology Laboratory Department of Dermatology in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, retrospectively investigated the clinical and mycological characteristics of 198 patients with tinea capitis. Hairs have been obtained for fungal examination, and analysis with 20% KOH and Fungus Fluorescence Staining Solution has been conducted. Identification of fungi was using of morphological and molecular biological methods. Among total number of 198 patients, 189 (96%) were children with tinea capitis, of which 119 (63%) were male and 70 (37%) were female; 9 (4%) were adult patients with tinea capitis, of which 7 were female and 2 were male. Preschool children between the ages of 3 and 5 years had the highest distribution (54%), followed by those between the ages of 6 and 12 years (33%), the ages under 2 years (11%) and the ages of 13-15 years (2%) respectively. Among all patients, 135 (68.18%) were Uygur, 53 (26.77%) were Han, 5 (2.53%) were Kazak, 3 (1.52%) were Hui, 1 (0.5%) was Mongolian and nationality information of 1 patient (0.5%) is unknown. The indentification results of the isolates showed that 195 (98%) patients had single-species infections and 3 (2%) patients had double mixed infections. Among single-species infection patients, Microsporum canis (n = 82, 42.05%), Microsporum ferrugineum (n = 56, 28.72%) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (n = 22, 11.28%) were the most prevalent species. Other dermatophytes included Trichophyton tonsurans (n = 12, 6.15%), Trichophyton violaceum (n = 10, 5.13%), Trichophyton schoenleinii (n = 9, 4.62%) and Trichophyton verrucosum (n = 4, 2.05%). Among 3 cases of mixed infections, 1 was M. canis + T. tonsurans (n = 1), and the other 2 were M.canis + T.mentagrophytes (n = 2). In conclusion, the majority of tinea capitis patients in Xinjiang, China are Uygur male children aged 3-5 years. M. canis was the most prevalent species causing tinea capitis in Xinjiang. These results provide useful information for the treatment and prevention of tinea capitis.
Topics: Adult; Child, Preschool; Humans; Male; Female; Child; Retrospective Studies; Coinfection; Tinea Capitis; Microsporum; China; Trichophyton
PubMed: 37012555
DOI: 10.1007/s11046-022-00702-0 -
The British Journal of Dermatology Apr 2022Tinea capitis is still common in developing countries, such as China. Its pathogen spectrum varies across regions and changes over time.
BACKGROUND
Tinea capitis is still common in developing countries, such as China. Its pathogen spectrum varies across regions and changes over time.
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to clarify the current epidemiological characteristics and pathogen spectrum of tinea capitis in China.
METHODS
A multicentre, prospective descriptive study involving 29 tertiary hospitals in China was conducted. From August 2019 to July 2020, 611 patients with tinea capitis were enrolled. Data concerning demography, risk factors and fungal tests were collected. When necessary, the pathogens were further identified by morphology or molecular sequencing in the central laboratory.
RESULTS
Among all enrolled patients, 74·1% of the cases were in patients aged 2-8 years. The children with tinea capitis were mainly boys (56·2%) and were more likely than adults to have a history of animal contact (57·4% vs. 35·3%, P = 0·012) and zoophilic dermatophyte infection (73·5% vs. 47%). The adults were mainly female (83%) and were more likely than children to have anthropophilic agent infection (53% vs. 23·9%). The most common pathogen was zoophilic Microsporum canis (354, 65·2%), followed by anthropophilic Trichophyton violaceum (74, 13·6%). In contrast to the eastern, western and northeastern regions, where zoophilic M. canis predominated, anthropophilic T. violaceum predominated in central China (69%, P < 0·001), where the patients had the most tinea at other sites (20%) and dermatophytosis contact (26%) but the least animal contact (39%). Microsporum ferrugineum was the most common anthropophilic agent in the western area, especially in Xinjiang province.
CONCLUSIONS
Boys aged approximately 5 years were the most commonly affected group. Dermatologists are advised to pay more attention to the different transmission routes and pathogen spectra in different age groups from different regions.
Topics: Animals; China; Female; Humans; Microsporum; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Tinea Capitis; Trichophyton
PubMed: 34741300
DOI: 10.1111/bjd.20875 -
Acta Microbiologica Et Immunologica... Aug 2021Dermatophytosis is a major health problem all over the world including Pakistan. This is the first report of detection of dermatophytes and their antifungal drug...
Dermatophytosis is a major health problem all over the world including Pakistan. This is the first report of detection of dermatophytes and their antifungal drug resistance in the Northern and Western parts of Pakistan. A total of 154 samples were collected from different hospitals of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and out of them 136 samples were found positive. Tinea corporis (35%) was the most predominant type of infection followed by Tinea capitis (22%). The fungi identified in Tinea corporis infection types were identified as Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Epidermophyton floccosum. The fungi identified in Tinea capitis included Trichophyton violaceum, T. mentagrophytes, Microsporum ferrugineum. The gender wise distribution showed both males (52%) and females (48%) were infected with the fungi. More cases belonged to the rural parts of the country. Age wise distribution showed that the infection was more prevalent in the children and the prevalence decreased with the increase in age. The positive samples were checked against two antifungal agents: fluconazole and nystatin. Among 136 positive samples, none of the isolates showed resistance to nystatin while 7% of the samples showed resistance to fluconazole. The resistant isolates were then identified by amplifying the 18S rRNA gene, using universal primers (ITS1, ITS4). Among the 9 resistant isolates, 5 isolates were identified as Trichophyton spp., 3 as Microsporum spp. and 1 as Epidermophyton spp.
PubMed: 34383707
DOI: 10.1556/030.2021.01461 -
Mycoses Aug 2020Tinea capitis (TC) is an infection of the scalp hair due to dermatophytes. Most commonly seen in prepubescent children, but data of adults tinea capitis (ATC) in China... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Tinea capitis (TC) is an infection of the scalp hair due to dermatophytes. Most commonly seen in prepubescent children, but data of adults tinea capitis (ATC) in China mainland are limited.
OBJECTIVES
We aimed to evaluate epidemiological, clinical and mycological characteristics of ATC in China from 2000 to 2019.
METHODS
We retrospectively analysed all ATC reported cases in China mainland, confirmed by mycological examination, by searching PubMed, Wanfang, Weipu and CNKI database.
RESULTS
In sum, 40 papers involving 269 clinical cases were included. The average morbidity of ATC was calculated as 9.04% after standardisation. The sex ratio is 1:5.2 (31 male, 163 female); 76 people between 18 and 44 age level and 137 people between 45 and 89 age level were diagnosed as ATC. Culture or ITS sequencing identified Trichophyton violaceum in 70 cases (35.2%), Microsporum canis in 42 cases (21.1%), Trichophyton mentagrophyte in 32 cases (16.1%), Trichophyton rubrum in 23 cases (11.5%), Microsporum gypseum in 18 cases (9.0%), Trichophyton tonsurans in 6 cases (3.0%), Trichophyton schoenleini in 4 cases (2.0%), Epidermophyton floccosum in 2 cases (1.0%), Trichophyton verrucosum and Microsporum ferrugineum in one case (0.5%). ATC was easily to be diagnosed as furfur, seborrhoeic dermatitis (13%) or pustular and dermatocellulitis (11.15%).Six immunocompromised persons were recorded (2.2%).
CONCLUSIONS
ATC mainly involves postmenopausal women. Trichophyton violaceum, M canis, T mentagrophyte remain the most common aetiological agent of ATC in China. Trichophyton rubrum own the much higher frequency in ATC than in children. For diversified clinical manifestations, recognising ATC profiles will help clinicians avoid misdiagnosis.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Arthrodermataceae; China; Dermatomycoses; Female; Humans; Male; Microsporum; Middle Aged; Morbidity; Postmenopause; Prevalence; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Tinea Capitis; Young Adult
PubMed: 32395886
DOI: 10.1111/myc.13102 -
Der Hautarzt; Zeitschrift Fur... Sep 2020Three boys from the same city, treated by the same dermatologist, developed tinea capitis. Two of them, 4 and 8 years old, underwent mycological diagnostic workup.... (Review)
Review
Three boys from the same city, treated by the same dermatologist, developed tinea capitis. Two of them, 4 and 8 years old, underwent mycological diagnostic workup. However, no pathogens familiar in this country, such as Microsporum (M.) canis or Trichophyton (T.) tonsurans, were isolated, but instead that of a dermatophyte that has not been found in Germany for decades. Both dermatophyte isolates showed white-beige-brownish colonies with a flat, radiating edge and a central, verrucous curvature. The sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rDNA confirmed the suspicion of M. ferrugineum already expressed based on the morphological picture. The anthropophilic dermatophyte occurs in the Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa and is considered to be the cause of tinea capitis or tinea corporis in children and adolescents. In 2016, M. ferrugineum has again been isolated in Germany, probably as a result of migration movements. The fungus is strikingly isolated to martial arts, especially wrestlers. It mainly affects children and adolescents, some with a Russian-German background. The anthropophilic dermatophyte is transmitted directly from person to person, especially in the case of tinea capitis. An indirect transmission, for example, via mats in martial arts is likely.
Topics: Antifungal Agents; Arthrodermataceae; Child; Child, Preschool; Germany; Humans; Male; Microsporum; Tinea Capitis; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 32394081
DOI: 10.1007/s00105-020-04601-7 -
Der Hautarzt; Zeitschrift Fur... Aug 2019In this study, a novel real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay (DermaGenius®2.0, PathoNostics BV, Maastricht, The Netherlands) and a recently developed... (Review)
Review
In this study, a novel real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay (DermaGenius®2.0, PathoNostics BV, Maastricht, The Netherlands) and a recently developed microarray test (EUROArray Dermatomycosis, Euroimmun, Lübeck, Germany) were evaluated regarding their diagnostic specificity to identify dermatophyte DNA. The tests were compared to conventional methods and sequencing. The microarray Dermatomycosis test allows the detection of 50 dermatophytes and definitive identification of 23 dermatophyte species, 6 yeasts and moulds combined in one test. In comparison, real-time PCR is able to identify 11 dermatophytes and one yeast at the species level. Using the EUROArray, 22 out of 24 dermatophyte species were correctly identified. Using real-time PCR, 9 out of the 11 different dermatophytes included in the test kit were correctly identified. Both molecular tests for detection and differentiation of dermatophytes are useful tools for daily clinical practice. The real-time PCR test does not detect as many species, and specificity is slightly lower. However, real-time PCR is a very fast and easy to perform test, especially since no post-PCR step is necessary. Real-time PCR detects the most frequent dermatophytes like T. rubrum, T. interdigitale, and M. canis without any problems. The EUROArray is more elaborate to perform in the lab, due to the hybridization step. However, the EUROArray shows higher specificity and can detect a much broader range of causative agents, including rare species, in dermatomycology.
Topics: DNA, Fungal; Dermatomycoses; Germany; Humans; Microsporum; Netherlands; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Trichophyton
PubMed: 31263912
DOI: 10.1007/s00105-019-4447-z -
The British Journal of Dermatology Nov 2019
Topics: Adaptive Immunity; Adult; Antifungal Agents; CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins; DNA Mutational Analysis; Dermatomycoses; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Microsporum; Mutation; Scalp; Skin
PubMed: 31102464
DOI: 10.1111/bjd.18146 -
Medical Mycology Journal 2017Masao Ota was a Professor of Dermatology at Tokyo Imperial University. He is known to dermatologists around the world as the researcher who identified Nevus of Ota. He...
Masao Ota was a Professor of Dermatology at Tokyo Imperial University. He is known to dermatologists around the world as the researcher who identified Nevus of Ota. He is also known for his research on Hansen's Disease. He was critical of the forced isolation policy and the sterilization law. He dreamt of developing chemotherapeutic measures and dedicated himself to cultivating Mycobacterium leprae. Among his accomplishments, those in the area of medical mycology are particularly remarkable. His discovery of Microsporum ferrugineum, his proposal for Trichophytia pompholyciformis, and his work on Ota-Langeron taxonomy based on the findings on fungus colonies are highly regarded and earned him the Ordre Royale de la Legion D'honneur. His accomplishments in the field of mycology are numerous; he has published a total of 39 research papers mostly in foreign languages. He was a leading world-class medical mycologist of his day. This review introduces some of his accomplishments and some episodes in his life.Furthermore, Masao Ota had a detailed knowledge of art and culture. Under the pseudonym of Kinoshita Mokutaro, he wrote poems, plays, and novels. He was also a painter. Particularly, his paintings in botany during his later years were published in the book "One Hundred Flower Sketches" after his death.Ota said, "The consequence of both science and art is global and humanitarian." He was one of the greatest men of culture in his time.
Topics: Awards and Prizes; Dermatology; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; Humans; Japan; Microsporum; Mycology; Nevus of Ota
PubMed: 28855482
DOI: 10.3314/mmj.17.009 -
Medical Mycology Journal 2017Several pathogenic fungi and cases related to Japanese medical mycologists were reviewed. Trichosporon inkin (as Sarcinomyces inkin) was reported as a pathogen of... (Review)
Review
Several pathogenic fungi and cases related to Japanese medical mycologists were reviewed. Trichosporon inkin (as Sarcinomyces inkin) was reported as a pathogen of scrotal lesion by Oho in 1921, and Trichosporon asahii was isolated from generalized keratotic lesions in 1922 by Akagi in Japan. They were once included in Trichophyton beigelii, but then based on revision using DNA molecular technology, were returned to their original names.Microsporum ferrugineum was reported by Ota as a causative dermatophyte of tinea capitis in Japan and surrounding areas. It was once classified under the genus Trichophyton, but after the discovery of characteristic rough-walled macroconidia belonging to genus Microsporum, the fungus was again assigned to the original name.
Topics: DNA, Fungal; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Japan; Microsporum; Mycology; Skin; Tinea Capitis; Trichophyton; Trichosporon
PubMed: 28566664
DOI: 10.3314/mmj.17.002