BACKGROUND: Tinea faciale is a dermatophyte infection of glabrous skin of the face except bearded areas of the adult male. Tinea faciale usually has been classified as tinea corporis but recently recognized as a separate disease entity. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the correlation of clinical and mycological features of tinea faciale. METHODS: We performed clinical and mycological study on 46 cases of tinea faciale at the department of dermatology, Konkuk University Hospital from September 2001 to August 2004. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS: 1. The age distribution of patients was highest in the age group of 10 years or under (34.8%). The ratio of male to female patient was 1: 1.4. The seasonal distribution of patients was highest in autumn. 2. Among 46 cases, dermatophytes were isolated in 37 cases. They were Trichophyton (T.) rubrum (19 cases), Microsporum (M.) canis (9 cases), T. mentagrophytes (6 cases), M. gypseum (2 cases), and Epidermophyton (E.) floccosum (1 case). 3. Although there was no notable discrepancies among the age groups, in both T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes. M. canis was found to be more frequent as the main causative organism in the age group of 10 years or under. According to seasonal variation, there were no significant differences among T. rubrum species. M. canis was seen more frequently during winter season, and T. mentagrophytes in spring. 4. There were no significant difference in clinical variations of tinea faciale according to the type of dermatophytes. Coexisting fungal infections were found in 10 patients and tinia corporis was most frequently.
Adult ; Age Distribution ; Arthrodermataceae ; Dermatology ; Epidermophyton ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microsporum ; Seasons ; Skin ; Tinea* ; Trichophyton

BACKGROUND: The yeasts of genus Malassezia are dimorphic and lipophilic and are numbers of the normal flora in humans. Malassezia yeasts are implicated in various diseases, including pityriasis versicolor, Malassezia folliculitis, seborrheic dermatitis and systemic fungal infections. OBJECT: The study was done to classify the Malassezia yeasts cultured from the lesions of Malassezia folliculitis into one of the revised species and to find out the relationship between certain species of Malassezia and Malassezia folliculitis. METHODs: The specimen obtained from the lesions of twenty cases of Malassezia folliculitis and twenty cases of healthy controls were cultured on Leeming & Notman's media. The obtained strains were placed into one of the seven species by their colony morphologies, microscopic morphologies and physiological characteristics. RESULTS: In the lesions of Malassezia folliculitis, M. globosa occupied most of the cultured colonies in 15 cases, M. restricta in 4 cases and M. furfur in 1 case respectively. In the control group, M. restricta was found to be predominant on the face and M. sympodialis, M. globosa, M. restricta and M. furfur were isolated on the trunk. CONCLUSION: M. restricta and M. globosa could be considered to be mostly implicated species in the seven revised Malassezia species in the lesions of Malassezia folliculitis of the face and trunk respectively.
Dermatitis, Seborrheic ; Folliculitis* ; Humans ; Malassezia* ; Tinea Versicolor ; Yeasts