Tinea Versicolor

Tinea Versicolor General Information

Tinea Versicolor is the generic medical term used to describe a commonly encountered fungal infection. It generally affects adolescent patients, and may also be found in young adults. It is caused by a yeast – Malassezia furfur – that is known to live in the skin. While generally the fungus does not cause any problems, when exposed to certain factors (high humidity or abnormalities of the hormone levels or of the immune system) it becomes more visible, causing the spots on the patient’s skin. Most commonly, such changes of color are visible on the shoulders, chest and back, but may also occur on the arms or the groin. Generally, the face is not affected by the infection, although sometimes it can happen, especially in the case of children. Also, the density of the spots may vary, from a few small, isolated spots to such a density that the areas that are left unaffected may seem “abnormal” when compared to the rest.

Tinea Versicolor is not a contagious affection, as the fungus is part of the patient’s skin. The condition responds to treatment relatively easy, and the discoloration is not permanent. It has been noted that in the case of darker spots (brown or red-brownish) these disappear immediately after treatment, however if the spots are lighter in color than the regular color of the skin, it may take up to a few months for the color to return back to normal. Also, it is common for the condition to recur; in such cases, the patient needs to undergo treatment repeatedly every year or every two years.

Tinea Versicolor Symptoms

In the case of Tinea Versicolor, the patient typically presents a number of oval or irregular shape spots with varying dimensions, which may overlap and form larger spots. In some cases, the skin becomes scaly; the texture of the skin changes and it presents a superficial ash-like crust. The spots vary in color from one person to another, and sometimes the color may also vary from one occurrence of the affection to another in the same person. In dark-skinned people, the affection most commonly causes hypopigmentation (the color is changed towards lighter tones); while in patients with lighter skin color the color of the skin tends to darken under the influence of the fungus (hyperpigmentation). The patches are outlined by a sharp border and may take a dark color or a pale one, but all the colors have a reddish hue; the color darkens when the body temperature of the patient rises, such as after exercising or when taking a hot bath. The patient may also experience an itching in the affected area when the body temperature rises, however this sensation typically ceases once the patient begins sweating.

The spots characteristic to Tinea Versicolor typically appear on the patients’ back, chest, shoulders, neck, upper arms, underarms and lower legs, and a microscope examination of the affected tissue will reveal the particular aspect created by the fungus: the round yeasts produce a number of filaments, giving the image the so-called aspect of “spaghetti and meatballs”. There may be other symptoms associated with Tinea Versicolor, which are not listed here. If you suspect that you are affected by this condition, it is highly advised that you seek the advice of a dermatologist in order to obtain a correct diagnosis.

Tinea Versicolor Treatment

There is a variety of antifungal agents available, which can be used in the treatment of Tinea Versicolor. Among these, the most commonly prescribed are the topical antifungal medications which contain either 2.5% Selenium Sulfide or 2% Ketoconazole. Such medication, under the form of ointment, should be applied to the dry skin for 10 minutes, and after that washed off. This process should be repeated daily for one to two weeks.

Other topical medications that are less often used in treating patients affected by Tinea Versicolor are Clotrimazole (which may be used in concentrations of 1% in combination with Selenium Sulfide 2.5%), Terbinafine or Miconazole, applied twice per day for up to two weeks. In some cases, Hydrogen Peroxide has been proven to have a positive effect on the condition, sometimes even curing it completely.

Apart from topical treatment, Tinea Versicolor patients can also be prescribed oral medication, which undoubtedly has the advantage of being much simpler to administer. The prescribing health care specialist may advise that the patient should be administered a 400 mg dose of Ketoconazole or Fluconazole; alternatively, Ketoconazole may be prescribed as a daily dose of 200 mg for up to 7 days. Itraconazole may also be prescribed, in a dosage of 400 mg daily for up to one week. In the case of single dose treatment, the patient is encouraged to exercise for up to two hours after the intake, in order to induce sweating. After that, the patient should allow the sweat to evaporate and should not shower until the next day; the perspiration containing the medication will dry off, leaving a film of medication on the skin.

It should be noted that the medication used to treat Tinea Versicolor may interact with other drugs, and some side effects may appear, so it is best that you consult with the prescribing health care specialist and let him or her know about any other medication therapy that you are currently undergoing. Also, in order to obtain further information about the possible side effects and what to do if you start experiencing any of these, you should ask a physician, a pharmacist or a nurse.

In many cases, Tinea Versicolor tends to recur after a period of time, typically one or more years after the initial occurrence. In order to prevent the recurrence of the affection, many health care specialists advise the patient to apply topical agents to he affected areas on a somewhat regular basis – in some cases, the specialized health care professional may even advise that the patient undergoes a weekly preventive treatment with topical Ketoconazole or Selenium shampoo. However, in most cases adding some anti-dandruff shampoo to the water prior to bathing is sufficient to keep the condition from recurring.