Tinea versicolor

Revision as of 16:56, 20 August 2012 by WikiBot (talk | contribs) (Robot: Automated text replacement (-{{SIB}} +, -{{EH}} +, -{{EJ}} +, -{{Editor Help}} +, -{{Editor Join}} +))
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Tinea versicolor
ICD-10 B36.0
ICD-9 111.0
DiseasesDB 10071
MedlinePlus 001465
eMedicine derm/423 

WikiDoc Resources for Tinea versicolor

Articles

Most recent articles on Tinea versicolor

Most cited articles on Tinea versicolor

Review articles on Tinea versicolor

Articles on Tinea versicolor in N Eng J Med, Lancet, BMJ

Media

Powerpoint slides on Tinea versicolor

Images of Tinea versicolor

Photos of Tinea versicolor

Podcasts & MP3s on Tinea versicolor

Videos on Tinea versicolor

Evidence Based Medicine

Cochrane Collaboration on Tinea versicolor

Bandolier on Tinea versicolor

TRIP on Tinea versicolor

Clinical Trials

Ongoing Trials on Tinea versicolor at Clinical Trials.gov

Trial results on Tinea versicolor

Clinical Trials on Tinea versicolor at Google

Guidelines / Policies / Govt

US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Tinea versicolor

NICE Guidance on Tinea versicolor

NHS PRODIGY Guidance

FDA on Tinea versicolor

CDC on Tinea versicolor

Books

Books on Tinea versicolor

News

Tinea versicolor in the news

Be alerted to news on Tinea versicolor

News trends on Tinea versicolor

Commentary

Blogs on Tinea versicolor

Definitions

Definitions of Tinea versicolor

Patient Resources / Community

Patient resources on Tinea versicolor

Discussion groups on Tinea versicolor

Patient Handouts on Tinea versicolor

Directions to Hospitals Treating Tinea versicolor

Risk calculators and risk factors for Tinea versicolor

Healthcare Provider Resources

Symptoms of Tinea versicolor

Causes & Risk Factors for Tinea versicolor

Diagnostic studies for Tinea versicolor

Treatment of Tinea versicolor

Continuing Medical Education (CME)

CME Programs on Tinea versicolor

International

Tinea versicolor en Espanol

Tinea versicolor en Francais

Business

Tinea versicolor in the Marketplace

Patents on Tinea versicolor

Experimental / Informatics

List of terms related to Tinea versicolor


Tinea versicolor or pityriasis versicolor is a common skin infection caused by the yeast Malassezia furfur (formerly termed Pityrosporum ovale). This yeast is normally found on the human skin and only becomes troublesome under certain circumstances, such as a warm and humid environment.

Symptoms

The symptoms of this condition include:

  • Generally oval or irregularly-shaped spots of 1/4 to 1 inch in diameter, often merging together to form a larger patch
  • Occasional fine scaling of the skin producing a very superficial ash-like scale
  • Pale, dark tan, or pink in color, with a reddish undertone that can darken when the patient is overheated, such as in a hot shower or during/after exercise
  • Sharp border

These spots commonly affect the back, underarm, upper arm, chest, lower legs, and neck. Occasionally it can also be present on the face. The yeasts can often be seen under the microscope within the lesions and typically have a so called "spaghetti and meat ball appearance" as the round yeasts produce filaments.

In people with dark skin tones, pigmentary changes such as hypopigmentation (loss of color) are common, while in those with lighter skin color, hyperpigmentation (increase in skin color) are more common. These discolorations have led to the term "sun fungus".

Prevalence

Tinea versicolor is a common condition. It is estimated that 2 to 8% of the population of the United States has it. This skin disease commonly affects adolescents and young adults, especially in warm and humid climates. It is thought that the yeast feeds on skin oils (lipids) as well as dead skin cells.


Tinea Versicolor

Treatment

Treatments for tinea versicolor include:

  • Topical antifungal medications - containing either 2.5% selenium sulfide (Selsun® shampoo in UK, but not Selsun Blue which contains only 1%) or 2% ketoconazole (Nizoral® ointment and shampoo) applied to dry skin and washed off after 10 minutes, repeated daily for 2 weeks. Other topical antifungal agents such as clotrimazole, miconazole or terbinafine are less widely recommended. Additionally, hydrogen peroxide has been known to lessen symptoms, and on certain occasions, remove the problem.
  • Oral antifungal prescription only medications include 400 mg of ketoconazole or fluconazole in a single dose, or ketoconazole 200 mg daily for 7 days, or itraconazole 400 mg daily for 3-7 days. The single-dose regimens can be made more effective by having the patient exercise 1-2 hours after the dose, to induce sweating. The sweat is allowed to evaporate, and showering is delayed for a day, leaving a film of the medication on the skin.
  • Recurrence is common and may be reduced by intermittent application of topical agents (such as tea tree oil) or adding a small amount of anti-dandruff shampoo to water used for bathing.


External links

Template:Mycoses

de:Pityriasis versicolor nl:Pityriasis versicolor sv:Pityriasis versicolor sr:Tinea_versicolor

Template:WH Template:WikiDoc Sources