Related Experiment Videos
Kerion-like tinea capitis and barbae caused by Microsporum gypseum in Israel
Abstract:
Four cases of hair invasion by Microsporum gypseum are reported. In three the scalp was involved and in one, the beard. All presented a kerion type of invasion. In 3 cases hair penetration was of the ectothrix type, while in one case the kerion of the scalp resembled the type of invasion seen in T. schonleini infection. None of the invaded hairs showed fluorescence in Wood's light. The soil was the source of infection in 3 patients, the fungus having been isolated from soil samples collected in the vicinity of the houses of these patients through the hair bait method. In one case the source of contamination was the family dog, in which scaly, alopecic, follicularlike lesions caused by the same agent were found.
Insights
Microsporum gypseum caused four cases of hair invasion, presenting as kerions on the scalp or beard. Soil and a family dog were identified as infection sources in this dermatophyte study.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Mycology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Dermatophytosis, a fungal infection of the skin, hair, and nails, can be caused by various species of fungi.
- Microsporum gypseum is a geophilic dermatophyte, meaning it typically resides in soil.
- Kerion is an inflammatory form of tinea capitis, often presenting as a boggy, pustular lesion.