Tinea of the Penis

Abstract

A 35‐year‐old Italian doctor came to us for treatment of a scaly, moderately itchy patch on the shaft of his penis (Fig. 1). FHe had first noticed the patch about 20 days before and mentioned that it was spreading slowly. The lesion was oval, a little over 3 cm in diameter, lightly hypochromic, and covered with moderate, tine scaling. The upper part of the border was indefinite, while the lower part was sharply marginated. There were no lesions on the groins or elsewhere. Direct microscopic examination of a potassium hydroxide preparation from the scales showed the presence of septate hyphae. Culture in Sabouraud's agar allowed the growth of colonies that were identified as Epidermophyton floccosum. given their macroscopic and microscopic morphology (Fig. 2). Direct microscopic examination and culture of some small scales taken from the groins and the scrotum were negative.