Tinea Pseudoimbricata caused by Trichophyton rubrum

Abstract

Tinea pseudoimbricata, a special subset of tinea incognito, is a cutaneous fungal infection with unusual tinea imbricata-like lesions caused by dermatophytes other than Trichophyton concentricum. Here we present a case of tinea pseudoimbricata. An 80-year-old woman presented with mildly pruritic, scaly, annular, erythematous plaques with inner small, annular, polycyclic, or arcuate plaques on the left abdomen and back for 1 month. The lesions enlarged after the application of topical corticosteroids about 2 months previously. A potassium hydroxide test performed on her lesions was positive. Fungal culture, light microscopic findings, and T. rubrum-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction confirmed the presence of T. rubrum. Thus, we diagnosed tinea pseudoimbricata caused by T. rubrum and treated successfully with oral and topical terbinafine.