Fungus

Tinea Barbae

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Tinea Barbae

  • See Also
  1. Skin Infection
  2. Cutaneous Fungal Infection
  3. Superficial Folliculitis
  • Epidemiology
  1. Adult males
  2. Seen now in farmers related to animal exposure
  • Etiology
  1. Trichophyton verrucosum
  2. Trichophyton mentagrophytes
  • Pathophysiology
  1. Dermatophyte infection of the beard and mustache area
  2. Trichomycosis (Invasion of Hair Shaft)
    1. Resembles Tinea Capitis infection
  • Symptoms
  1. Pruritus
  2. Local tenderness
  • Signs
  1. Distribution
    1. Beard and mustache area
    2. Eyelashes and eyebrows (rare)
  2. Pustular Folliculitis
    1. Hair Follicles surrounded by inflammation
      1. Papules and Pustules
      2. Superimposed exudate and crust
    2. Hair easily removed
  3. Circular reddish patches with scale
    1. Hairs broken off at surface
  • Differential Diagnosis
  1. Bacterial Folliculitis (Staphylococcus aureus)
  2. Furuncle or Carbuncle
  3. Acne Vulgaris
  4. Rosacea
  5. Perioral Dermatitis
  6. Pseudofolliculitis Barbae
  7. Contact Dermatitis
  8. Herpes Simplex Virus (Eczema herpeticum)
  1. Hyphae seen invading Hair Shaft
  1. Treat for 2-3 weeks after lesion resolution (typically requires 4-6 weeks of treatment)
  2. See Tinea Capitis for Antifungal Medication options and dosing
  • Complications
  1. Staphylococcus aureus superinfection
  2. Kerion
  • Reference
  1. Fitzpatrick (1992) Color Atlas Dermatology
  2. Hainer (2003) Am Fam Physician 67(1):101-8 [PubMed]