Posts Tagged ‘tinea versicolor’

Tinea versicolor ringworm is a fungal infection of the skin in humans and domestic animals such as sheep and cattle.  Fungi are organisms that live by eating plant or animal material. Those that cause parasitic infection feed on keratin, the material found in the outer layer of skin, hair, and nails. These fungi flourish best on moist, warm skin. This condition has been prevalent since before 1906. Ringworm was treated with compounds of mercury at that time. Hairy areas of skin were often considered too difficult to treat, so the scalp was treated with x-rays.  That procedure was then followed up with antiparasitic medication.

Recent estimates show up to twenty percent of the population is infected by ringworm or one of the other dermatophytoses. It is very common among people who play sports, particularly wrestling. Misdiagnosis and treatment of ringworm with a topical steroid can result in tinea incognito, a circumstance where ringworm fungus will grow without the usual typical features like a distinctive raised border.

Tinea versicolor ringworm is often confused with other common rashes. It is also known as pityriasis versicolor. The following rashes can be easily confused with tinea versicolor are Vitiligo, Pityriasis alba, Seborrheic Dermatitis, Syphilis, Pityriasis Rosea, Nummular eczema, and Guttate psoriasis.

Tinea versicolor can occur at any age, but is most prevalent in adolescence and early adulthood. This is a time when the sebaceous glands are more active.  It is also more common in tropical and semi-tropical climates. Tinea versicolor has a recurrence rate of 80% after two years.

Pityrosporum orbiculare and Pityrosporum ovale, are the yeasts that are a part of the common skin flora. They dwell in the stratum corneum and hair follicles and have an attraction for oil glands. Certain factors can trigger these yeasts to convert to a pathogenic form known as Malassezia furfur, which produces the rash of tinea versicolor. Predisposing factors include:

•           Cushing’s disease

•           Removal of the adrenal gland

•           Pregnancy

•           Malnutrition

•           Burns

•           Steroid therapy

•           Suppressed immune system

•           Oral contraceptives

•           Excess heat

•           Excess humidity

Three different tests for tinea versicolor are used in diagnosis of the infection.  They are:

•           A KOH test shows a characteristic “spaghetti and meatballs” appearance under the microscope.

•           Under a Wood’s light examination, the yeast appears pale yellow.

•           A fungal culture can be performed after adding oil to the culture medium, but it is rarely necessary.

Symptoms of tinea versicolor groin infections include small, flat, round or oval spots that may, over time, form patches. The spots occur on oily areas of skin which encompass the upper chest, back, or upper arms or, less often, on the upper thighs or groin area, neck, or sometimes the face.  The spots are flat and may be white, pink, red, tan, or brown, determined by a person’s skin color. Each person’s spots are usually just one color.  Besides being spotted, skin may appear to be scaly.  Although it’s not the norm, your skin may be itchy, especially when you are hot and sweaty.

Most people who get this rash are in good health. Tinea versicolor groin infections occur more often in teenagers and young adults.   However, tinea versicolor is more likely to show up if a person has a suppressed immune system or is experiencing hormonal imbalances. Immunosuppression, which is when the immune system is unable to protect the body from the growth of yeast or fungus on skin or elsewhere, raises the chance of infection. Taking a corticosteroid medication such as prednisone for another health problem is one such instance. It is also more common in women who are taking birth control pills or in expectant mothers.

Tinea versicolor is caused by yeast called Malassezia fur fur that lives in the skin of most adults. Tinea versicolor patches that are brown or reddish-brown disappear almost immediately after treatment.  When this condition manifests spots that are lighter than the surrounding skin, it may take as many as several months for overall color to even out. The timing varies but it always eventually does. Tinea versicolor does not leave permanent skin discoloration.

The yeast reacts well to treatment in most people, but the changes in skin color may remain for several months, especially if you have spent time in the sun. While tinea versicolor groin infections are probably only visible to the infected party, wearing a strong sunscreen can minimize the difference in skin color between normal skin and skin discolored by tinea versicolor, as well as taking other precautions against sun exposure.  In the summer months in mild climates, the spots may be very noticeable because they don’t tan with the rest of your skin. Tanning will make the condition more obvious, so avoid tanning to keep the change in skin color less noticeable.  During the winter, the spots or patches may appear to go away as your tan fades and they become less conspicuous.

A doctor’s evaluation is the best way to confirm a tinea versicolor infection. Tinea versicolor is a relatively common condition.  Two to eight percent of the United States population has it.  This skin disease frequently affects adolescents and young adults, especially in warm humid climates.  It is thought that the yeast feeds on skin oils and dead skin cells.  Infections are found more often in people who have seborrheic dermatitis, dandruff and hyperhidrosis.

Tinea versicolor diagnosis is usually based on a medical history and physical examination. The patches or spots that appear with this condition are distinctive, and usually allow the diagnosis to be made on physical examination.  Physicians may use an ultraviolet light to examine the patches more clearly. Under the light yeast types in the Malassezia group may glow yellow-green.  Another common practice is for the physician to do skin scrapings of the lesions to help confirm the diagnosis.

For someone who has received a tinea versicolor diagnosis the infection is easily treated with a variety of things like skin creams, shampoos, or solutions. If the infection is severe or if it envelops large areas of your body, is recurring, or does not ease with skin care, the doctor may prescribe antifungal pills.  People with liver or heart problems cannot take antifungal pills.  Blood tests may have to be done so the doctor can check to make sure your kidneys and liver are functioning properly.

Treatment kills the fungi quickly, but it can take months for the spots to abate and for your skin color to return to normal.  Treatment can last days or weeks, depending on how the rash reacts. For six months after the first treatment, a person may be advised to apply topical treatments occasionally or take one or more doses of oral antifungal medicine to help prevent the rash from returning.

Doctors often recommend that bed linens and pajamas be washed daily during treatment to avoid re-infection. Some experts do advise boiling or discarding contaminated clothing if the rash is unshakable.  It is believed to be a more certain way to eliminate the yeast.

Specific treatment will be determined by a physician’s positive tinea versicolor diagnosis. He or she will take into consideration factors like a person’s age, overall health, and medical history and extent of the condition.  Their tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies, expectations for the course of the condition and your opinion or preference will also come into play.

One frequently asked question heard is “Is Tinea versicolor contagious or not?”  The answer is “not” and you cannot catch it from anyone. This micro-organism normally dwells in small harmless numbers on everyone’s skin. It is the uncontrolled growth or overgrowth of this yeast that causes the affliction.

Tinea versicolor pronounced “TIH-nee-uh VER-sih-kuh-ler” is a fungal infection that causes many small, flat spots on the skin. These areas can be flaky or mildly itchy. The multitude of small spots or patches may blend into large patchy areas, usually on the chest and back, the more oily parts of the upper body. The coloration of the spots can vary and be either lighter or darker than the skin around them.

Tinea versicolor is caused by a fungus.  This fungus lives all around us, including on the skin. Basic everyday washing and showering normally removes dead skin and fungi, which is more than one fungus. What happens in hot and humid weather, such as during the summer or in tropical areas, is that fungi may grow more rapidly.  As these fungi multiply, their natural balance on the skin is disturbed and the normal color of the skin changes and then spots appear.

The various color changes happen because tinea versicolor can cause both light and dark discoloration of the skin.  Most commonly the spots will be shades lighter in color than normal skin. This is because the fungus produces a chemical that blocks skin pigment production. After the fungus is treated the light discoloration will remain for several weeks, possibly months until re-pigmentation has occurred.

On occasion the yeast produces inflammation in the skin that allows an over abundance of pigment to be produced.  When this happens the rash will be darker than normal skin, but it too will revert back to normal color after several months.

People with oily skin, especially teens and young adults, are at risk and are more likely to get tinea versicolor. It does not spread from person to person.  Tinea versicolor contagious, no it is a non-contagious fungal infection.  There are other things that increase a persons’ chance of getting tinea versicolor and they include having an abnormal immune system, which can occur during pregnancy or from some illnesses. Using certain medicines, such as corticosteroids, antibiotics, or birth control pills can also be a factor. Tinea versicolor usually is less likely to occur as you age, when the skin becomes drier and less oily.

A common fungal infection of the skin is tinea versicolor fungus, also called pityriasis versicolor. Tinea versicolor is a type of infection that appears as a paper-thin layer of fungus on your skin. Small discolored patches are the outcome when the fungus interferes with the normal pigmentation of the skin. There are various treatments but even after successful treatment, skin color may remain irregular for several weeks until re-pigmentation takes place. Tinea versicolor may also reappear, especially in high humidity and warm weather. It often recurs after treatment, but normally not right away, so that treatment needs to be repeated only every year or two.  The tinea versicolor fungus is part of the normal adult skin so this condition is not contagious.

Normal healthy skin may have the fungus that produces this disorder growing in its pores which are the opening of the hair follicles. Tinea versicolor fungus occurs when the fungus becomes overgrown. Factors that can cause the fungus to become more noticeable include high humidity and immune or hormone abnormalities, which are triggers like excessive perspiration and oily skin.  Although the discoloration may be more visible on dark skin, anyone regardless of skin color can be affected by the rash.

The term versicolor refers to the fact that it triggers the affected skin to change color and become either lighter or darker than the skin around it. The most common areas it affects are the shoulders, back, and chest.  Sometimes, it can affect creases of skin, such as the crook of the arm, the skin under the breasts, or the groin area. The face is usually not affected, although children can get it there in some cases.

The signs and symptoms of tinea versicolor fungus to look for are small scaly patches of discolored skin, patches that increase slowly, areas that become more noticeable after sun exposure, and possibly mild itching.  The patchy areas can be various colors, including white, pink, tan and dark brown.

Though the fungal infection often returns within one to two years, tinea versicolor fungus does not leave permanent skin discoloration. Some doctors believe the culprit for recurring infection to be fungi that remain in clothing causing the infection to return.  Normal washing and cleaning is usually effective in eliminating fungi from clothes.  Dry-clean clothes or washing them in the hottest possible water may be needed for persistent reoccurring tinea versicolor fungus.

Virtually undetected many microorganisms live on our skin. That includes a group of yeast species called Malassezia.  The yeast resides in our pores and under certain conditions it can alter its shape from a round or oval yeast form to a more string-like, branching configuration. The name for this branchlike figure is hyphae. The yeast can travel under the skin and generate azelaic acid. This substance can shift the level of pigment or color in new skin cells.  The yeast causes a rash called tinea versicolor rash, also called pityriasis versicolor in this hyphae form.

Perennially common in the tropics and subtropics, tinea versicolor is seen in the summer months in milder climates.  Things like sun exposure, use of skin oils, naturally oily skin and sweating are all believed to be triggers that can instigate the round or oval yeast to change to its hyphae form, resulting in the rash. This rash can spread between people who have skin contact.

Tinea versicolor rash is made up of a scattering of pink, tan, brown or white patches on the skin. The colors may vary by person but each person will usually have only one of the colors.  These patches usually have no texture and are flat.  It is possible that they may flake.  Tinea versicolor rash may appear as small round spots or areas that start smaller then grow larger and merge with other areas.  When a person is hot or sweaty the rash will be especially itchy.  These areas do not tan evenly, so the skin spots may be more obvious after skin has been exposed to the sun.

Even after treatment the changes in skin color may last for several months, especially if you have spent time in the sun.  The variation in skin color between normal skin and skin influenced by tinea versicolor can be minimized by wearing a strong sunscreen and taking other precautions against ones exposure to the sun.

Tinea versicolor rash is found more often in teenagers and young adults.  The rash appears on the back, neck, upper chest, shoulders, armpits and upper arms.  Most people who get this rash are in good health. If one has a suppressed immune system it could put them at risk.  One example is if you are taking a corticosteroid medication like prednisone for another health issue.   It is also found more commonly in women who are taking birth control pills and also in pregnant women.