Dermoscopic characteristics of cutaneous larva migrans in dark skin: a study from Banjul, The Gambia

Abstract

Cutaneous larva migrans (CLM), results from hookworm larvae infestation, mainly A. braziliense or A. caninum. It is common in Sub-Saharan Africa, often acquired through soil contact, especially in sandy beaches, manifesting as serpiginous, erythematous, and intensely pruritic tracts within the epidermis and presenting with diverse clinical appearances. Diagnosis is mostly clinical, however, dermoscopy can enhance diagnostic accuracy and distinction from mimics. The current body of literature is deficient in its representation of dermoscopic data for CLM in blacks. This study explores dermoscopy in 9 dark-skinned patients with 16 CLM lesions. Distinctive serpiginous structureless areas displaying a range of colors, peripheral scales surrounding brown areas and brown dots were predominant features, whereas vascular characteristics were less evident. This article highlights the presence of distinct reaction patterns, including brown dots, scales, and accentuated, often disrupted brown reticular lines in addition to the characteristic winding tracts in the darker skin.