00:00
Now we'll cover the tinea infections. Tinea infections are fungal infections and these are
classified according to their site of infection. Some examples are ringworm, athlete's foot,
and Jock itch. The signs, symptoms, and management depend on the site involved and classically
we'll see a ring-shaped, red, scaly patch. These tinea infections are very common and we
treat them with antifungal medications. So, these are caused by dermatophytes and these are
aerobic fungi. They live on dead tissue; on hair, nails, and the outer layers of the skin. These
are common in children but we see tinea infections in all ages. They're also common in most
countries because they thrive in warm, moist areas. This is the 4th most prevalent disease
worldwide and 10%-20% of people will get a dermatophyte infection in their lifetime. There
are some risk factors to tinea infection including having a prolonged exposure to wet skin
including patients who sweat or swim, minor skin and nail injuries, patients who do not bathe
or wash their hair often, and patients who are immunocompromised. The transmission is not
hard. This is going to spread easily and this involves contact with infected people. This can
also be spread via fomites and around pool surfaces, on the pool deck. We also see patients
who've been exposed from gym mats, shower floors, and walls. And tinea can also be spread
by pets. The signs and symptoms depend on the type and these are the common types. First,
tinea capitis. This is when it occurs on the scalp and you can remember this as your patient
puts their cap on their head. The next is tinea corporis. This is when it involves the body
and this is also known as ringworm. And when I say the term ringworm, patients always
get really worried and I remind them this is not a worm infection, this is from a fungus. Tinea
cruris or tinea inguinalis. This is in the groin and this is also known as Jock itch. Tinea pedis.
02:07
This involves the feet and this is referred to as athlete's foot. And then there's tinea unguium
and this is a nail infection, also known as onychomycosis. First, let's talk about tinea capitis.
02:19
Remember this is on the head, on the scalp. This is 2 different dermatophytes, streptophyta
and microsporum, that are going to invade the hair shaft and this is going to have multiple
patches of hair loss or alopecia. And this is the classic symptom, it disrupts the hair growth.
02:35
Patients may have inflammation, scaling, pustules, and itching on their scalp. This is more
common in males and it's more common in children. And the diagnosis is mostly clinical, you
look for that patch of hair that's missing but you can do a scraping from the hair shaft to do
KOH microscopy. We'll learn about that procedure later. So, tinea capitis. This can exist in a
carrier state and it requires oral antifungals. I've seen patients come in and they say they
have tried all kinds of creams and powders on their hair. They think they have a fungal
infection. They know they have tinea capitis and they don't understand why it's not working.
03:12
It's because orals are required. Griseofulvin is the most common medication, but we can also
use terbinafine, itraconazole, and fluconazole as alternatives. You can also apply a topical
selenium sulfide shampoo, but this is not an independent treatment. Treatment should continue
for 1+ weeks until it's visibly resolved. And again, these are adjuncts so these are not
primary therapies but you can also use selenium sulfide and the patient's going to put the
shampoo on their scalp, wait about 10 minutes and then wash this off in the shower. Next,
let's talk about tinea corporis. This is ringworm. This is when it occurs on the body commonly
the face, the arms, the legs, and the trunk. You'll see an annular, itchy, marginated plaque
with a thin scale and a central clearing and marginated means that the borders are clear.
04:03
This is what differentiates this rash from eczema. It's a clinical diagnosis, but if you're not
quite sure maybe you think the patient has eczema, you can do a KOH microscopy and look at
the scrapings. So you can treat this with topicals or orals and I always look at the patient
and decide how big is the area and is it reasonable to put a cream on this patient. Often the
patient needs to put this on and then put their clothes on so they can go to work or school
so sometimes creams just rub off on their clothing and sometimes oral treatment is a better
option for those patients. You can use griseofulvin, terbinafine, itraconazole, and then topical
clotrimazole cream. And same, the treatment should continue for 1+ weeks after the resolution.
04:47
So, what is Jock itch? It's a medical term for tinea cruris, which is a skin fungal infection.
04:54
Jock itch is a dermatophyte infection in the groin and it's commonly found on the medial
portions of the upper thighs as well. This is more often seen in male patients but it can be
common in females who are overweight and wear tight pants. The penis and the scrotum are
usually spared so you will not see the infection there and this is more common in the adult
population. So, what are the signs and symptoms? You want to evaluate and treat their feet
if this is the source. So let's think about this. If your patient has a fungal infection on their
feet and then they get dressed. They stepped into their underwear and they stepped into
their pants and they pulled those items up, they can introduce this fungus into their groin.
05:33
You can treat this with topical therapy and terbinafine cream or spray once a day for a week.
05:39
Now let's talk about athlete's foot or tinea pedis. This is caused by the same dermatophyte
species as tinea cruris. It's most commonly seen in adolescents. So there are some risk
factors, exposure to a moist environment and maceration of the skin. So, we see this a lot in
athletes that's why we call this athlete's foot. They'll be running or jogging or playing a sport
and their feet will get really sweaty and they often don't change out of those socks right
away. This causes white macerated tissues between the toes and they'll get vesiculobullous
eruptions on the soles of their feet. The symptoms are itching, stinging, and burning. Now
this is usually managed with topical agents. Patients can use butenafine 1% topically for
2 weeks or topical Lotrimin. Miconazole is also used. Sometimes systemic therapy is needed.
06:30
So here are some tips to prevent and manage athlete's foot. You want to encourage your
patients to wash their feet. The next step is really important. They need to dry their feet
and the area between their toes and we don't want them washing their feet and then having
moist feet and then putting the socks back on because that will actually make the problem
worse. We want to encourage the patient to wear cotton socks to allow their feet to breathe
and if they wear flip flops in public moist environments such as swimming pool decks and
public showers, they are less likely to get athlete's foot. Now we'll cover tinea unguium. This is
also called onychomycosis. This is a fungal nail infection and the toenails are more commonly
affected than the fingernails. This involves a thickened, yellow, jagged nail that can separate
from the nail bed. There are certain risk factors including peripheral vascular disease,
immunosuppression such as our patients with diabetes and patients with athlete's foot. Now
this is uncommon in the pediatric population, but this can happen. So, trimming the nails can
be helpful for these patients and the problem with these nail infections is topical agents are
not usually effective. These patients usually require oral therapy. So, the problem with these
oral antifungals is they're very hepatotoxic. They can damage the liver so the clinician needs
to monitor this liver function test. I typically do baseline testing and then I'll start my
patient on therapy and I'll follow up in a few weeks to see how their liver is tolerating the
medication. This is usually managed by a primary care provider, a dermatologist, or a
podiatrist.