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Case Reports
. 2016 Nov 9;16(10):e6598.
doi: 10.5867/medwave.2016.10.6598.

Tinea incognito due to Trichophyton mentagrophytes: case report

[Article in Spanish, English]
Camila Quiñones  1 , Paula Hasbún  2 , Walter Gubelin  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Tinea incognito due to Trichophyton mentagrophytes: case report

[Article in Spanish, English]
Camila Quiñones et al. Medwave. .

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Tineas are frequent infections caused by dermatophytes that are able to invade keratinized tissue, causing rounded, erythematous, scaly lesions. Nonetheless, in tinea incognito the lesions are modified because of inappropriate use of topical corticosteroids or calcineurin inhibitors, making it difficult to diagnose. We present a case of a 12-year-old male child that presents with erythematous lesions on the right eyebrow, which at first was diagnosed as a contact dermatitis, so corticosteroids were indicated. The lesions became more inflammatory and a fungus culture was requested, which was positive for Tricophyton mentagrophytes. The conclusion of this report is that tineas can mimic other dermatologic conditions therefore caution should be taken when prescribing topical corticosteroids or calcineurin inhibitors without diagnostic certainty because if lesions are caused by tinea, diagnosis and treatment may become more difficult.

Las tiñas son infecciones frecuentes causadas por dermatofitos, capaces de invadir tejido queratinizado, produciendo placas anulares, eritematosas y descamativas. Sin embargo, en la tiña incógnita esta clínica es modificada por el uso inapropiado de corticoides o inhibidores de calcineurina tópicos, dificultando su diagnóstico. Presentamos el caso de un paciente masculino de 12 años, con lesiones eritematosas localizadas en la región ciliar derecha. Se interpretó como una dermatitis de contacto y se indicaron corticoides tópicos, pero evolucionó con lesiones más inflamatorias. Se obtuvo un cultivo de hongos positivo para Tricophyton mentagrophytes. De este reporte se concluye que las tiñas pueden imitar otras condiciones dermatológicas. Por ende, se debe tener precaución al indicar corticoides o inhibidores de calcineurina tópicos sin una certeza diagnóstica. Ello, debido a que en el caso de corresponder a una tiña, se alteran las características clínicas, dificultando el diagnóstico y manejo.

Keywords: contact dermatitis; corticosteroids; tinea.

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