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Health Dictionary

Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

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White piedra

Introduction

Overview

Overview

White piedra (or tinea blanca) is a mycosis of the hair associated with Trichosporon beigelii and is characterized by nodules composed of hyphae that encompass hair shaft .

Differential Diagnosis

Differential Diagnosis

White piedra should be differentiated from other diseases presenting as red, pruritic, annular, scaly rash. The differentials include the following:

Name of superficial infection Clinical presentation Extension to hair follicle Fungus(i) Systemic disease KOH preparations Morphology in tissue sections
Tinea or ringworm Round lesions with scaly border, accompanied by pruritis and burning Yes; when suppurative known as kerion, when chronic known as Majocchi’s granuloma Dermatophytes (Epidermophyton spp., Trichophyton spp., Microsporum spp.) Very rare but can invade the dermis and soft tissues, causing mycetomas Hyphae with or without septations Hyphae cannot be visualized in the keratin with H&E, special stains are needed
Tinea versicolor Hypo and hyperpigmentation in patients with oily and sweaty skin, fine scales when scratching Yes, known as Pityrosporum folliculits Malassezia spp. Systemic infections may occur in premature neonates receiving parenteral nutrition and in other immunosuppressed hosts Yeasts and hyphae (“spaghetti and meat balls”) Faintly basophilic hyphae in the stratum corneum
Tinea nigra Brown to black macule, usually on palms, with some scaling No Phaeoannellomyces werneckii Not described Darkly pigmented, septated, and branching hyphae Pigmented hyphae in the stratum corneum
White piedra Creamy-white, small, soft nodules in hair shafts No Trichosporon spp. Immunosuppressed patients may have lung infiltrates, renal involvement, and fungemia Septate hyphae perpendicular to hair shaft Not used for diagnosis
Black piedra Hard dark nodules in hair shafts No Piedraia hortae Not described Collections of crescent ascospores surrounded by pigmented hyphae Not used for diagnosis
Superficial candidiasis Intertrigo, chronic paronychia, onychodystrophy, cheilitis Yes Candida spp. Yes, particularly in patients with AIDS and depending on the level of immunosuppression Yeasts, pseudohyphae may be observed Fungal elements may be seen through the biopsy, vascular invasion must be determined

Physical Examination

Hair
External links

Template:Disease-stub Template:Mycoses

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 “Dermatology Atlas”.

Editor-In-Chief:
C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Kiran Singh, M.D. [2]