Skin nontumor
Infectious disorders
Dermatophytes / tinea
Author: Nat Pernick, M.D.
Last author update: 1 July 2011
Last staff update: 19 September 2024 (update in progress)
Copyright: 2002-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Fungi - superficial fungal infections
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Clinical images | Microscopic (histologic) description | Cytology images | Positive stains | Additional referencesCite this page: Pernick N. Dermatophytes / tinea. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/skinnontumorfungisuperficialinfections.html. Accessed December 2nd, 2024.
Definition / general
- Due to pathogens restricted to the stratum corneum, with little or no tissue reaction
- Scalp and beard lesions may have superimposed bacterial folliculitis / perifolliculitis
- Superfical fungal infections may also be found on neoplastic skin lesions
- Usually caused by dermatophytes; in children, usually due to Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton (Am Fam Physician 2008;77:1415)
- Kerion celsi: superimposed bacterial folliculitis on tinea of scalp
- Majocchi granuloma: nodular granulomatous perifolliculitis; inflammation of dermis and subcutis by dermatophytes, usually Trichophyton rubrum
- Sycosis barbae: tinera barbae with superimposed bacterial follicultis
- Tinea barbae: infection of beard area of adult men
- Tinea capitis: infection causing hairless patches of skin in scalp, usually in children
- Tinea corporis: infection of trunk of children and adults, associated with excessive heat and humidity; scaly red annular plaques (ringworm)
- Tinea cruris: "jock itch", infection of inguinal area of obese men during warm weather
- Tinea pedis: "athletes foot", infection causing diffuse erythema and scaling, initially in web spaces, often with bacterial superinfection
Clinical images
Images hosted on other servers:
Kerion celsi, Majocchi granuloma and Tinea capitis
Tinea corporis:
well demarcated
margins and
diffuse erythema
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Cellulitis, abscesses, pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, fungal spores and hyphae in horny cell layer and near hair shafts
- Spores, hyphae and neutrophils usually are present in stratum corneum or hair shafts
- Variable intercellular epidermal edema, dermal inflammation
Cytology images
Images hosted on other servers:
Microsporum audouinii
Additional references
