Tinea of Vellus Hair Caused by Trichophyton violaceum in a Child: A Case Report

Abstract

Introduction: Tinea of vellus hair is a rare dermatophytosis, caused by dermatophyte infection in the vellus hair. The clinical symptoms of tinea of vellus hair are more serious and the conventional topical treatment are often ineffective. Here, we report a case of tinea of vellus hair caused by Trichophyton violaceum in a child. Case presentation: A 7-year-old boy presented with a localized, scaly, and itchy erythema on his left cheek for two months. He once used a topical corticosteroid but without any clinical improvement, the erythema was progressively enlarging and spread to the left eyebrow. He denied any contact with animals. Direct microscopy found abundant spores and hyphae on the vellus hair; T. violaceum was identified by culture and PCR examination. The patient was diagnosed with tinea of vellus hair and cured after treating with oral terbinafine 125 mg/day and topical treatment for two weeks. There was no recurrence during the follow-up period. Discussion: The clinical symptoms of tinea of vellus hair are often atypical and easy to be misdiagnosed. Timely fungal examination is necessary for suspicious patients and confirmed patients should be treated with oral antifungal drugs. Conclusion: The diagnosis and treatment of tinea of vellus hair need to be paid more attention in clinical works.