Polarized Dermoscopy Facilitates Diagnosis and Treatment of Plantar Pseudohirsutism

Abstract

Background. Plantar cutaneous conditions are the most common causes of foot discomfort limiting ambulation. Identification of indwelling foreign bodies is greatly facilitated by dermoscopy, allowing early detection of the character of the underlying pathological etiology. Furthermore, polarized dermoscopy provides ideal conditions of illumination and three- dimensional visualization of the involved site, without direct contact with the cutaneous surface. This unprecedented report describes its implementation for a solitary hair implanted into plantar skin. Case Presentation. A patient presented with localized plantar discomfort diagnosed as a soft tissue reaction to an embedded single human hair, folded and rooted inside the epidermis. Under magnified vision the phenomenon was characterized, the hair was extracted, the source was manipulated with a hypodermic needle and the lesion was removed with ensuing complete resolution. Conclusions. Previous reports of hair slivers embedded inside the skin were attributed to barbers or animal grooming and the treatment was dictated by the severity of the complications. In this relatively mild case the intervention was greatly facilitated by therapeutic dermoscopy. Therapeutic dermoscopy is advocated for use to evaluate and treat many diverse body surfaces, especially the plantar skin as it raises the likelihood of successful treatment of embedded foreign bodies. Precisely how a single hair may become lodged into normal plantar skin remains to be explained