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Dermoscopy case of the month
Tinea nigra dermoscopy: A useful assessment

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Clinical presentation

A 17-year-old boy presented with a 7-mm brown macule on the fourth finger on his right palm evolving for 6 months, with clearly defined margins and no associated complaints (Fig 1).

Dermoscopic appearance

Dermoscopic examination found a brown, fine-dotted, and granular structure overlapping an amorphous light brown macule. These wispy brown strands, or pigmented spicules, represent pigmented hyphae in the stratum corneum. Like almost all other case reports, the pigment did not follow or respect the dermatoglyphic furrows and ridges (Fig 2).

Key message

Tinea nigra (TN) is a superficial fungal infection caused by Hortaea (Phaeoannellomyces) werneckii, formerly called Cladosporium werneckii or

References (4)

  • A. Paller et al.

    Skin disorders due to fungi

  • R.J. Hay

    Tinea nigra

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

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    Dermoscopic findings are the pigmented hyphae in the stratum corneum, with brownish pigment in spikes that form a reticulated pattern, without respecting the dermatoglyphic lines, in addition to the absence of a pigment network (Fig. 7).29 Other subsequent reports also demonstrated brownish pigment in small dots and granules over a lighter brownish macular area and again not respecting the dermatoglyphic ridges and sulci, as it would have been seen if this was a melanocytic lesion.30 Dermoscopy can help by avoiding unnecessary biopsies, as it allows differentiation with melanocytic lesions.

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  • Dermatoscopy of Parasitic and Infectious Disorders

    2018, Dermatologic Clinics
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    Because the lesions grossly resemble acquired acral melanocytic lesions, biopsy is often considered. At dermatoscopy, tinea nigra is characterized by fine, brownish spicules and dots in a reticular-like or filamentous arrangement that do not follow the furrows and ridges.95–106 They correspond to pigmented hyphae in the stratum corneum.

  • Tinea Nigra in Children

    2023, Current Fungal Infection Reports

  • A pigmented macule on the palm

    2023, BMJ
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Funding sources: None.

Conflicts of interest: None declared.

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© 2015 by the American Academy of Dermatology, Inc.