1. Tinea nigra plantaris. A case report.
11 EADV Spring Symposium Meeting
Belgrade, May 2014
Tinea nigra plantaris. A case report.
Ornella Cervetti, Paola Albini, Veronica Arese, Federica Ibba, Manuela Novarino, Michele Panzone.
Department of Medical Sciences – Dermatologic Clinic
University of Turin

2. A 45 years-old Italian white man presented with a light-brown, roundish, irregular, not infiltrated and well defined plantar macule. He had returned from a journey to Madagascar some weeks before the onset of the lesion.
The plantar patch was asymptomatic and had appeared about two months before, increasing slowly but progressively.
On clinical, anamnestic and dermoscopic ground, we suspected a mycotic origin of the lesion.

3. Septated and pigmented hyphae at the microscopic observation.
Yeasty brown to green-black, colonies identified as Exophiala werneckii.
Final diagnosis of Tinea Nigra was done.

4. Discussion (1)
Tinea nigra is a superficial mycotic infection mainly caused by two black filamentous fungus: Exophiala werneckii and Cladosporium castellani. Such organisms, in particular E. werneckii, are found in the ground and decaying vegetation and are endemic in the humid climates countries.
In Europe, tinea nigra is an exceptional reply and usually is an imported pathology.
The clinical presentation is an irregular black or brown spot, generally solitary, which slowly enlarges. The infection has rather long times of incubation also, in some cases, of years.
The clinical and anamnestic data are very important in order to place a correct diagnosis, which must be confirmed with the micological examination, that puts in evidence septated and pigmented hyphae by the optical microscope observation, and characteristic olive or brownish colonies.

5. Discussion (2)
Dermoscopy supported our clinical suspect, based on clinical appearance and history of the patient, showing a non-melanocytic pattern, with fine spicules which did not follow dermatoglyphic lines.
Conclusion
With this report we want to stress the importance of an accurate anamnesis, a precise observation of clinical aspect and a meticulous use of dermoscopy to differentiate this infection from other manifestation such as exogenous pigmentation, fixed drug erythema, post-inflammatory pigmentations and, above all, with melanocytic lesions (lentigo maligna and superficial spreading melanoma).

6. References
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