Dermatomycosis in Cutaneous Tumors is a Predictor for Non-malignancy: A Cross-sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Mycology
• Oncology

Background:

• Cutaneous tumors (CTs) encompass a range of benign and malignant neoplasms.
• Identifying specific microbial markers could aid in tumor classification.
• The role of fungal elements like spores and hyphae in CTs requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of fungal spores and/or hyphae in benign and malignant cutaneous tumors.
• To assess the potential of these fungal elements as diagnostic markers for differentiating tumor types.
• To compare the presence of spores/hyphae in benign CTs versus malignant CTs.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted.
• 328 cutaneous tumors positive for spores and/or hyphae were evaluated.
• Tumor types included compound nevi, seborrheic warts, melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and basal cell carcinoma (BCC).

Main Results:

• The highest prevalence of spores/hyphae was observed in compound nevi (55.18%) and seborrheic warts (18.60%).
• No spores or hyphae were detected in melanoma samples.
• A very low prevalence was found in squamous cell carcinomas (0.61%) and basal cell carcinomas (0.30%).

Conclusions:

• The presence of spores and/or hyphae appears to be a significant indicator of non-malignancy in cutaneous tumors.
• These fungal elements can potentially serve as a diagnostic aid for differential diagnosis between benign CTs and malignant CTs like SCCs and BCCs.
• Distinguishing between melanoma and nevi may also be facilitated by the presence or absence of these fungal markers.