Original Research Article
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18203/issn.2455-4529.IntJResDermatol20180121
Pityriasis versicolor in children: a study of 110 cases
Department of Dermatology, Karuna Medical College, Palakkad, Kerala, India
Received: 01 January 2018
Revised: 13 January 2018
Accepted: 16 January 2018
*Correspondence:
Dr. Srinath M. Kambil,
E-mail: srinathmk76@gmail.com
Copyright: © the author(s), publisher and licensee Medip Academy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
ABSTRACT
Background: Pityriasis versicolor (PV) is a cutaneous fungal infection caused by the yeast fungus Malassezia. Though common in adults, children can also develop PV.
Methods: 110 cases of clinically and mycologically proven cases of PV in children upto 14 years were included in this study which was conducted in the Dermatology outpatient department of Karuna Medical College, Palakkad over a period of one year.
Results: PV in children accounted for 22.63% of total cases of PV seen during the study period. Face was the commonest site involved (78%). Majority (83.64%) presented with hypopigmentation and family history was present in 26%. Most cases (67%) were seen during the months of April to September.
Conclusions: PV in children is not rare and it commonly presents as asymptomatic hypopigmented macules over the face.
Keywords: Children, Hypopigmentation, Malassezia, Pityriasis, Versicolor
INTRODUCTION
Pityriasis versicolor (PV) is a superficial cutaneous mycoses caused by Malassezia species commonly seen in tropical countries. Clinically it is characterised by hypopigmented or hyperpigmented scaly lesions over the body. PV is commonly seen in young adults, but it is not rare in children.1 Only few studies describe the prevalence and clinical features of PV in children. This study was done to observe the clinicoepidemiological features of PV in children.
METHODS
One hundred and ten cases of PV in children upto 14 years of age were included in the study. The study was carried out in the Dermatology outpatient department of Karuna Medical College, Palakkad over a period of 1 year from September 2015 to August 2016 after getting ethical clearance from the institution. Patients clinically diagnosed as PV showing the presence of the yeast fungus Malassezia in potassium hydroxide mount were included. A detailed history including the patient’s age, sex, socioeconomic status, family history, cleanliness, seasonal variation, duration, symptoms, history of recurrence, application of body oil and type of clothing were recorded. A detailed clinical examination was done to determine the colour and distribution of skin lesions and any other associated dermatological or systemic diseases.
RESULTS
Out of the 486 cases of PV diagnosed during the study period, 110 cases (22.63%) were seen in children. The majority of children belonged to the age group of 10 to 14 years (Table 1). Out of the 110 children, 76 (69%) were boys and 34 (31%) were girls. Hypopigmented type of PV was seen in 92 children (83.64%) and hyperpigmented type in 18 (16.36%). Only 14 children (12.7%) complained of pruritus. Face was the most common site involved followed by chest (Table 2). Family history of PV was present in 26% of children. Maximum cases (37%) were seen during the months of July to September (Table 3).
DISCUSSION
Pityriasis versicolor is a superficial fungal infection caused by Malassezia and the common species are M. globosa, M. furfur and M. sympodialis.2 The skin lesions are usually seen over the sebum rich areas of the body like chest, face and neck, upper back and proximal arms. It is usually seen in adults though it is not very uncommon in children as seen in our study. The most common age group affected in our study was 10 to 14 years. Similar results were seen in studies by Jena et al and Silva et al.3,4 Majority of the cases presented during the hot and humid climates. Miskeen et al and Rao et at al also found increased incidence during summer and monsoon seasons.5,6 The most common site was the face followed by the chest. Similar results were observed by Dena et al and Terragni et al.3,7 Hypopigmented type of PV was seen in vast majority of children and most of the children were asymptomatic.
CONCLUSION
PV in pediatric age group is not rare and it commonly presents as asymptomatic hypopigmented macules over the face with increased incidence seen during summer and rainy season.
Funding: No funding sources
Conflict of interest: None declared
Ethical approval: The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee
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