Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T14:24:48.207Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

25 - Superficial Fungal Diseases of the Hair, Skin, and Nails

from Part IV - Clinical Syndromes – Skin and Lymph Nodes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2013

Evelyn K. Koestenblatt
Affiliation:
Roosevelt Hospital Center
Jeffrey M. Weinberg
Affiliation:
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
David Schlossberg
Affiliation:
Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia
Get access

Summary

The vast majority of fungal infections of the skin, hair, and nails are caused by the dermatophytes, and yeasts including Candida species and Malassezia furfur. Because these entities can mimic nonfungal diseases, proper diagnosis is essential. Some fungi causing systemic infections may begin as cutaneous lesions. In most cases, potassium hydroxide (KOH) preparation, culture, and or biopsy can give a definitive diagnosis. Treatment may involve topical and/or systemic antifungal therapy.

THE DERMATOPHYTES

The dermatophytes are keratinophilic organisms that are found in specific ecological niches. Those found in the soil are referred to as geophilic organisms. Some primarily infect hair, skin, and nails of humans and are transmitted human to human (anthropophilic), and others are mainly found in fur, feathers, skin, and nails of animals (zoophilic). When transmitted to humans, zoophilic and geophilic organisms tend to be much more inflammatory than anthropophilic organisms. Factors precluding dermatophycosis include inoculum size, host immune status, the particular organism, a suitable environment, fungal growth rate exceeding epidermal turnover, and in certain instances the host genetics.

The term tinea refers to dermatophycosis or a dermatophyte infection due to one of the following genera: Epidermophyton, Trichophyton, or Microsporum. Dermatophyte infections are described by their location on the body: tinea capitis (scalp), tinea corporis (glabrous skin), tinea faciei (face), tinea cruris (groin), tinea manuum (hand), tinea pedis (feet), tinea barbae (beard), and tinea unguium (nails).

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×