Microsporia

Microsporia
Microsporia is a fungal disease of the skin, hair and, in extremely rare cases, nail plates. The main cause of microsporia disease is a mold keratinophilic fungus of the genus Microsporum, parasitizing in keratinized substrates. The disease is also known by another name “ringworm”, which is due to the peculiarities of its manifestation.

The content of the article:
Sources and ways of infection with microsporia
Symptoms of microsporia
Diagnosis of microsporia
Treatment and prevention of microsporia
Microsporia
According to statistics, about seventy cases of confirmation of microsporia are registered per 100 thousand people.

The disease has a seasonal character, and its incubation period lasts from four to six weeks, at the end of which a red edematous spot appears with the further appearance of ring-shaped elements.

Treatment is mainly reduced to taking antifungal drugs.

Sources and ways of infection with microsporia
Due to the fact that the causative agent of microscopy is widespread in the environment, it is possible to get infected with this disease anywhere, especially in those regions and areas where a humid and hot climate prevails. The infection is transmitted by contact or through objects seeded with mold spores.

Children aged 5-10 years often suffer from microsporia. In girls, the facts of diseases are noted five times less than in their peers — boys. Adults rarely get sick, and in case of infection with microsporia, the disease passes by itself due to the presence of organic acids in the hair that can suppress the growth of mycelium.

Some of the conditions listed below are the “entrance gate” for the causative agent of microsporia and increase the likelihood of human infection, these are:

microtrauma of the skin;
the appearance of scuffs;
dry skin;
the appearance of corns on the skin;
regular contact with the ground;
contact with wild animals;
constant and profuse sweating of the skin of the hands;
violation of the chemical composition of the secretion of sweat and sebaceous glands.
After microsporia fungal molecules are introduced into the human body, the virus itself begins to actively reproduce, affecting the hair follicles. Microsporia spreads very quickly, gradually leading to the destruction of the cuticle of the hair, between the scales of which a large number of spores of this fungus accumulate.

As a result, the mycelium of microsporia surrounds the hair completely, filling the bulb as tightly as possible and forming a cover around the hair.

Symptoms of microsporia
Microsporia caused by an anthropophilic type of fungus has an incubation period lasting from one to one and a half months. After its completion, red edematous spots appear on the skin of the human body, having clear outlines, rising above the surface of the skin and gradually increasing in size.

Then the lesions look like rings, pronounced and painful when touched. The rings consist of bubbles, crusts and nodules. The elements either fit into each other, or intersect, sometimes they can merge. The diameter of the rings on the skin has dimensions from 0.5 mm to 3 centimeters, and they rarely reach five in number.

Pronounced inflammatory reaction and slight peeling of lesions are often recorded in children and young women. In children aged 5 to 12 years, microsporia of the scalp occurs, but by the time of puberty it passes without a trace. This feature is associated with a change in the chemical composition of sebum: organic acids that are harmful to the fungus appear in it and in the composition of the hair. It is noteworthy that microsporia practically does not occur in children with red hair.

Microsporia cannot be diagnosed in a timely manner in patients prone to atopic dermatitis, for the reason that the fungus is able to disguise itself as manifestations of this disease. The hormone therapy used only aggravates the symptoms and is a provoking factor for the further spread of microsporia.

The lesions are located in the area of the crown, as well as on the parietal and temporal zones of the head. Usually the disease manifests itself in the form of one or two large foci up to 5 cm in diameter, there are smaller ones on the sides. At the site of the lesion, a peeling area occurs, since the fungus primarily affects only the mouths of the hair follicles. Upon careful examination, white ring-shaped scales surrounding the hair like a cuff are noticeable. After seven days, microsporia affects the hair, they become brittle, breaking off at a distance of 4-6 mm from the surface of the scalp. The affected area looks like trimmed, and the hair stumps are densely covered with fungal spores, as if powdered with a grayish-white powder. The scalp is covered with scales, edematous and slightly hyperemic.

The clinical picture of the suppurative form of microsporia is soft nodes located on bluish-red skin, they are covered with multiple pustules. When pressing on them through the holes, droplets of pus are released. The suppurative form of microsporia occurs as a result of the following reasons:

late treatment of the patient for medical help;
incorrectly prescribed therapy to the patient;
self-medication;
the presence of serious concomitant diseases that reduce the protective properties of the body.
Microsporia is seasonal, and most cases of the disease are recorded in late summer and early autumn. This feature is associated with the breeding of offspring in cats and other animals. The rise in the incidence of microsporia reaches its highest level in October-November, and a decrease to a minimum occurs in March-April.

Diagnosis of microsporia
A dermatologist may suspect microsporia already during a clinical examination of a patient confirming the fact of contact with animals indicated in the anamnesis, and prescribe adequate treatment. In case of microsporia disease in humans, mycelium and changes in hair and skin characteristic of mycoses can be detected. This is determined by dermatoscopy and scraping microscopy. But these laboratory methods only confirm the presence of a fungal disease, but do not help to establish an accurate diagnosis.

A more informative method is the cultural diagnosis of microscopy by seeding, followed by the identification of the pathogen, the determination of its type and genus. The study helps to choose the most effective drugs for treatment. However, this method takes much more time.

Luminescent examination allows for a quick examination of the patient and his contact persons. This method is used for:

definitions of the pathogen;
definitions of affected hair;
definitions of infection or carrier in animals;
control over persons who had contact with the patient;
evaluation of therapy results.
The green glow is a sign of the mycelium of the fungus, but the cause of the phenomenon has not yet been studied. In the early stages of the disease, there may be no glow at all, since the hair has not yet been affected.

Treatment and prevention of microsporia
For the treatment of microsporia, general or local antifungal therapy is used, depending on the severity of the lesion. Emulsions, sprays, ointments and creams with antifungal drugs contained in them (“Terbisill”, “Thermicon”, etc.) are used as local therapy. The patient’s age and his physiological condition are taken into account. It is necessary to know that there are contraindications for pregnant and lactating women. It is necessary to use such drugs with caution. The advantage of ointments with antifungal components is the fact that modern rubbing does not leave greasy marks on the skin and clothing, allowing patients to feel comfortable throughout the course of treatment.

Combined preparations containing antifungal and hormonal components are used for a pronounced inflammatory reaction. A good therapeutic effect is achieved by alternating applications with ointments and treatment with iodine solutions, provided there is no skin lesion.

The use of Triderm ointment gives an excellent result in the treatment of microsporia complicated by secondary infection. Preparations containing dimexide are used for deep skin lesions.

Prevention of microsporia consists, first of all, in personal hygiene, in limiting contact with stray animals and in regular examination of children in children’s institutions to identify patients. It is also necessary to pay special attention to the issue of acquiring animals for keeping at home. Without a veterinarian’s examination, such a purchase can cause an intrafamily outbreak of microsporia.

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