[Tinea capitis and corporis caused by Trichophyton soudanense in an immigrant family from Africa].
METHODS
Several weeks before coming to Germany the two daughters (aged 3 and 6 years) of a family from Togo had developed desquamating skin changes over the hairy scalp. These had then spread to the trunk and limbs. The 8-weeks-old son also had discrete lesions on the hairy scalp and neck. In all of them these lesions had then spread and begun to itch markedly. When first seen as out-patients the father was free of symptoms, but the other members of the family had multiple, sharply circumscribed, partly confluent, dry and desquamating lesions, about 2-4 cm in diameter, with areas of alopecia and hair breaking off at skin level. In addition there were dry, desquamating, sharply circumscribed, partly hyperpigmented, partly infiltrated plaques, 1-3 cm in diameter, disseminated over the entire body surface, but especially the neck and limbs.


METHODS
Typical micromorphological characteristics for T. soudanese were demonstrated in the outer zones of a primary culture and the organism was also demonstrated in culture on Sabouraud-glucose-agar. Typical colonies on Löwenstein-Jensen medium allowed differentiation from Microsporum ferrugineum.


METHODS
The patients were treated systemically with griseofulvin and locally with ciclopiroxolamine. Marked clinical improvement occurred within 2 months and cultures became negative. But as fungal elements were still demonstrated in native preparations from two of the patients, treatment was continued.


CONCLUSIONS
Efficacious treatment of tinea needs reliable diagnosis of the pathogen. Human infection with T. soudanese usually results from contact with other humans. If this infection occurs in persons not from Africa there is usually the history of indirect or direct contact with Africans. Increased international migration and tourism is likely to result in more cases of this kind: this pathogen should be considered in the differential diagnosis of tinea of scalp and body.
Faulhaber
D
D
Dermatologische Klinik und Poliklinik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.
Korting
H C
HC
D000328:Adult; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000077768:Ciclopirox; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006118:Griseofulvin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011728:Pyridones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014005:Tinea / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000382:microbiology*; D014006:Tinea Capitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000382:microbiology*; D014037:Togo / Q000208:ethnology; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D014249:Trichophyton / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D011728:Pyridones; D000077768:Ciclopirox; D006118:Griseofulvin
Tinea capitis et corporis durch Trichophyton soudanense bei einer afrikanischen Immigrantenfamilie.