At fungal infections (mycoses) can affect various parts of the body and can be classified into:
- Superficial mycoses: pityriasis versicolor, white stone and black stone, tinea nigra;
- Skin Mycoses: tineas;
- Subcutaneous mycoses: sporotrichosis, chromomycosis, lobomycosis and rhinosporidiosis;
- Systemic mycoses: paracoccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, and American blastomycosis;
- Mycetomas.
At mycoses cutaneous (tines) are the most common infections and can be classified according to the place they are affected:
- Tinea capitis: it is the mycosis that affects the scalp. Clinically it is characterized by the appearance of a "clearing", that is, an area where there is hair loss, and usually there is the presence of desquamation. It is very common in children and the treatment must necessarily be done with oral antifungal, and the main choice is griseofulvin, which should be used for at least eight weeks. In most cases, the hair grows again without leaving scars;
- Tinea barbae: it is the mycosis that affects the region of the beard. Clinically it is characterized by the occurrence of reddened lesions around the hair follicles, sometimes associated with pus pushes, that can drain serosanguinolenta secretion. The treatment is also preferably done orally;
- Tinea corporis: it is the mycosis that affects the glabrous skin, that is, one without a great density of hair, such as scalp and beard. The lesions are characterized as reddish "spots" with scaling at the edges. The treatment is made with topical antifungal;
- Tinea unguium: is the mycosis of the nails, or onychomycosis. Clinically it is characterized by the presence of deformity of the nails, which can become whitish, tortuous, thicker and detached from the nail bed. Treatment can be done with topical, systemic or combination antifungal agents (see also: Can yellowish nails be a sign of disease?);
- Tinea manum / pedis: is the mycosis of hands and feet. It may present in some forms, such as interdigital bullous lesions, reddish and scaly lesions, whitish interdigital lesions or plantar / palmar hikeratosis (when the region becomes thicker and harder). The treatment is made with topical antifungal;
- Tinea cruris: it is the mycosis of the groin area. It is characterized by the presence of red and pruritic lesions. The treatment is made with topical antifungal.
It may also interest you: Histoplasmosis: What is it, what are the symptoms and how to treat it; Can fungi on the skin cause ringworm?
Ideally the diagnosis and treatment of tines must be done by the doctor dermatologist. However, the general practitioner or pediatrician can also diagnose and treat mycoses.
Those cases that did not respond to topical treatment should be referred for evaluation with the dermatologist.
It is important to emphasize that associations with topical corticosteroids, such as betamethasone, should be avoided because it may worsen the condition or mask the symptoms.
