Tinea Versicolor - Symptoms and Treatment

Tinea versicolor is a common skin condition due to overgrowth of a skin surface yeast. The yeast normally lives in the pores of the skin and thrives in oily areas such as the neck, upper chest, and back. Tinea versicolor is a fungus infection that commonly affects the skin of young people, especially the chest, back, and upper arms and legs. Tinea versicolor, also called pityriasis versicolor, is a common fungal infection of the skin. Tinea versicolor is a common, benign, superficial cutaneous fungal infection usually characterized by hypopigmented or hyperpigmented macules and patches on the chest and the back. If the skin is oily enough, warm enough and moist enough, it starts to grow into small "colonies" on the surface of the skin. Patches are most often found on the chest or back and prevent the skin from tanning evenly. Tinea versicolor is a rash that occurs after the normal skin yeasts, Pityrosporum orbiculare or Pityrosporum ovale , transform to a pathogenic form and turn off melanin producing cells in the skin. It is neither a permanent nor a serious infection. Tinea versicolor mainly affects skin on the chest and back. Tinea versicolor, also called pityriasis versicolor, is a common fungal infection of the skin. The many small spots may blend into large patchy areas, usually on the oily parts of the upper body like the chest and back. Superficial fungal infections of the skin, known as dermatophytes, are some of the most common self-treatable trivial medical conditions.

Tinea versicolor is a fungal skin infection characterized by many small spots that usually appear on the oily parts of the upper body, typically the chest and back. The yeast normally lives in the pores of the skin and thrives in oily areas such as the neck, upper chest, and back. It doesn't usually affect the face, though. Even after successful treatment, skin color may remain uneven for several weeks, and the infection may return, especially in warm, humid weather. The organism can be found on healthy skin and on skin regions demonstrating cutaneous disease. The patches are lightly reddish brown on very pale skin but they don't tan. Because of lack of any tanning, they look like white spots on darker or tanned skin. Patches are most often found on the chest or back and prevent the skin from tanning evenly. Tinea versicolor has a recurrence rate of 80% after 2 years, periodic use of medications may be needed to suppress the rash. Tinea versicolor mainly affects skin on the chest and back. The fungus interferes with the normal tanning of the skin. The many small spots may blend into large patchy areas, usually on the oily parts of the upper body like the chest and back. As opposed to more serious fungal conditions, such as candidiasis or sporotrichosis, dermatophytes are limited to the upper layer of skin, where they subsist on the keratinized dead skin cells; in most cases, they are easy to eradicate.

Causes of Tinea Versicolor

Common Causes of Tinea Versicolor :-

• Oily skin.
• Immunosuppression.
• Hormonal changes.
• Hot, humid weather.
• Excessive sweating .

Symptoms of Tinea Versicolor

Some common Symptoms of Tinea Versicolor :-

• Sharp border.
• Itching sweating
• overheating.
• Occasional fine scaling of the skin producing a very superficial ash-like scale.
• Pink in color.

Treatment of Tinea Versicolor

Some common Treatment of Tinea Versicolor :-

• More expensive treatments for tinea versicolor include topical antifungals such as imidazole creams, which are applied twice daily for a month, and oral antifungals such as ketoconazole for extensive cases.
• The most economical and effective treatment is selenium sulfide lotion 2.5% applied once a day for 7 days. It's left on the skin for 10 minutes, then rinsed off thoroughly. In severe or persistent cases, therapy may require systemic ketoconazole. Topical treatment may cause temporary redness and irritation.
• Resistant cases can be treated with an antifungal cream applied directly to the skin.
• Oral treatment for tinea versicolor includes ketoconazole , fluconazole and itraconazole is beneficial in the eradication of skin rashes.
• Topical allylamines have bee found mycologically effective.
• Prophylactic therapy may also help in reducing dryness of the skin.
• Dietary alterations have not proved successfully in the treatment of tinea versicolor.

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