Junghwa Yang
Resident in Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, South Korea
Title: Scalp White Piedra caused by Rhodotorula species
Biography
Biography: Junghwa Yang
Abstract
White piedra is a superficial mycotic infection of the hair shaft, characterized by small, firm, irregular gritty nodules. This asymptomatic infection, also known as tinea nodosa and trichomycosis nodularis, is mainly caused by basidiomycetous yeasts in the genus Trichosporon. But rarely has this disease due to other fungi infection been reported and no case of white piedra in Korean was documented so far.
A 22-year-old man presented with palpable translucent to white nodules along the left temporal scalp hair. He denied other symptoms like scalp irritation or pruritus, but complained the affected hairs became brittle and easily broke at points of attached nodules. On the contrary, the adjacent scalp skin was not affected.
For the diagnosis, fungus culture from the affected hair on Sabouraud agar was performed and it revealed distinctive orange to red colonies, which were diagnostic of Rhodotorulla species. The patient was treated with oral itraconazole and isoconazole cream, and his symptom was clinically improved after a month with significant decrement of the concretions and brittle hairs.Thus, we will introduce this patient as a rare case of white piedra caused by Rhodotorula species.