A Clinical Study of Pityriasis Versicolor in the Young

Kang, Hyo Jun; Wang, Han Young; Sung, Ho Suk

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Pityriasis versicolor(PV) is a superficial mycosis, theoretically unusual in children. Epidemiologic and clinical data for children with PV under 14 years were collected.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical features of PV in the young. METHOD: We included all cases of PV in patients under 14 years of age observed in our department from 1981 to 1995. All cases were diagnosed on the basis of clinical criteria and were confirmed by microscopic examination.
RESULTS
From 1981 to 1995 we encountered 32 cases of PV in children, compared with 637 cases in adults; thus children represented 4.7% of all cases. The ratio of male to female was l. 7:1. Among the age groups, the incidence was the highest in the 10-14 years(43%). The monthly prevalence was the highest in August. Distribution of the lesions were the face(40.9%), neck (25%), chest(13.6%), back(11.3%), extremities(6.8%) and abdomen(2.2%). The incidence of hypopigmented lesions was 70.4% and that of hyperpigmented lesions was 29.6%.
CONCLUSION
This study confirms that the face is a predilectionl site for PV in children and all facial lesions are hypopigmented. Other clinical features are variable and similar to those of adults.