A Clinical and Etiological Analysis of Tinea Incognito Over 10 Years: A Single-Center Experience

Park, Min Woo; Suh, Moo Kyu; Ha, Gyoung Yim

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Tinea incognito is the dermatophytoses of atypical clinical appearance that is induced by topical and systemic steroid treatment or topical calcineurin inhibitor.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical and etiological aspects of tinea incognito.
METHODS
In the 10-year-period 2007-2017, we reviewed fifty-one patients with tinea incognito with regards to the age, gender, duration, and associated diseases. The patients with tinea incognito were further evaluated concerning the clinical manifestations and culture of organisms.
RESULTS
Age of the tinea incognito was most prevalent in the fifties (23.5%). The male-to-female ratio was 1:1.3. The most common type of infection was tinea corporis (52.9%), followed by tinea faciei (35.3%), tinea manus (5.9%), tinea barbae (3.5%), and tinea cruris (2.0%). The clinical features were to some extent diverse, ranging from eczema-like, seborrheic dermatitis-like, psoriasiform, folliculitis-like, rosacea-like, pyoderma-like, and purpura-like, and discoid lupus erythematosus-like. Trichophyton(T.) rubrum was the most common etiological agent (35.3%), followed by T. mentagrophytes (11.8%), Microsporum(M.) canis (7.8%), T. verrucosum (5.9%), T. erinacei, and M. gypseum (2.0%), respectively.
CONCLUSION
Because of the increase in tinea incognito, there is a need for careful mycological examination in patients with tinea incognito.