A cross-sectional study of dermoscopic patterns and their associations with clinical findings in KOH-confirmed tinea corporis

  • Noor-E-Jannat1, Abida Sultana2, A. T. M. Asaduzzaman3, Samipa Mukherjee4, Lubna Khondker5, Mohammad Abul Kalam Azzad6, Md. Alauddin Khan7, Mohammad Rahmat Ullah Siddique8, Wasi Deen Ahmed9, Ishita Saha10, Farha Zaman11, Halima Khatun12, Mohammed Saiful Islam Bhuiyan13

  • Volume 6, Issue 1, Page No: 2-9

Abstract

Background: Tinea corporis is a common superficial fungal infection in Bangladesh. Dermoscopy is a noninvasive tool that can enhance clinical diagnosis by revealing characteristic patterns.

Objective: To characterize dermoscopic patterns in KOH-confirmed tinea corporis and evaluate their association with clinical findings.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Bangladesh Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh, involving 46 patients with KOH-confirmed tinea corporis. Dermoscopic examination was performed using a DermLite DL5 (3Gen, USA), with images captured using a Vivo V27e smartphone. Characteristic dermoscopic patterns were documented. Skin scrapings were examined by 20% KOH microscopy, and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Chi-square test or Fisher exact test was applied to assess the association between clinical and dermoscopic findings.

Results: The study showed a mean age of 29.7 years, with a female predominance (54.3%). The waist was the most affected site (71.7%), and multiple annular lesions were the most common presentation (78.3%). Dermoscopy revealed several scaling patterns; the “annular arrangement with inward free margin” was a consistent and novel finding across lesion types and sites (p < 0.05). “Translucent vellus hair” was associated with longer disease duration (p = 0.017), background color changes with comorbidities (p = 0.038), and scales along skin creases with fewer lesions (p = 0.006) (p < 0.05 considered significant).

Conclusion: The “annular arrangement with inward free margin” is a consistent dermoscopic finding in KOH-confirmed tinea corporis. Dermoscopic patterns showed significant associations with clinical characteristics supporting the utility of dermoscopy as a valuable adjunctive tool for bedside evaluation and early diagnosis.

Keywords: Dermoscopy, Dermoscopic patterns, Tinea corporis, Potassium hydroxide, Annular arrangement with inward free margin

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