eMedicine Specialties > Dermatology > Fungal Infections

Tinea Barbae: Follow-up

Author: Jacek C Szepietowski, MD, PhD, Professor, Vice-Head, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Wroclaw Medical University; Director of the Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
Coauthor(s): Robert A Schwartz, MD, MPH, Professor and Head, Dermatology, Professor of Pathology, Pediatrics, Medicine, and Preventive Medicine and Community Health, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Sep 25, 2009

Follow-up

Deterrence/Prevention

  • Eliminating the source of tinea barbae infection is of great importance.
  • If farm workers become infected, examine all animals for the presence of fungal skin lesions.
  • Treatment of other fungal skin infections, such as tinea pedis or onychomycosis, may prevent the infection's spread by autoinoculation.

Prognosis

  • Prognosis usually is good for tinea barbae.
  • Inflammatory lesions undergo spontaneous remission within a few months; however, if untreated, they leave scarring alopecia.
  • Noninflammatory tinea barbae lesions are more likely to be chronic and may not tend to resolve spontaneously.

Patient Education

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • Failure to recognize and adequately treat tinea barbae, since untreated severe forms of tinea barbae may result in scarring alopecia. A potential for litigation exists if permanent cosmetic disfigurement occurs that may have been prevented.
 
Acknowledgments

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous Chief Editor, William D. James, MD, to the development and writing of this article.



More on Tinea Barbae

Overview: Tinea Barbae
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Tinea Barbae
Treatment & Medication: Tinea Barbae
Follow-up: Tinea Barbae
Multimedia: Tinea Barbae
References
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References

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Further Reading

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Keywords

tinea barbae, ringworm of the beard, barber's itch, trichophytosis barbae, tinea sycosis, sycosis, tinea faciei,

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Jacek C Szepietowski, MD, PhD, Professor, Vice-Head, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Wroclaw Medical University; Director of the Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
Disclosure: Stiefel Salary Employment; Orfagen Consulting fee Consulting; Maruho Consulting fee Consulting; Astellas Consulting fee Consulting

Coauthor(s)

Robert A Schwartz, MD, MPH, Professor and Head, Dermatology, Professor of Pathology, Pediatrics, Medicine, and Preventive Medicine and Community Health, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School
Robert A Schwartz, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, American College of Physicians, and Sigma Xi
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Franklin Flowers, MD, Chief, Division of Dermatology, Professor, Department of Medicine and Otolaryngology, University of Florida College of Medicine
Franklin Flowers, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Richard P Vinson, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Dermatology, Texas Tech University School of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Mountain View Dermatology, PA
Richard P Vinson, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, Association of Military Dermatologists, Texas Dermatological Society, and Texas Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Paul Krusinski, MD, Director of Dermatology, Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Fletcher Allen Health Care, University of Vermont
Paul Krusinski, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, American College of Physicians, and Society for Investigative Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Joel M Gelfand, MD, MSCE, Medical Director, Clinical Studies Unit, Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Associate Scholar, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania
Joel M Gelfand, MD, MSCE is a member of the following medical societies: Society for Investigative Dermatology
Disclosure: AMGEN Consulting fee Consulting; AMGEN Grant/research funds None; Genentech Consulting fee Consulting; Centocor Consulting fee Consulting; Centocor Grant/research funds None; Covance Consulting fee Consulting; Shire  Consulting

Chief Editor

Dirk M Elston, MD, Director, Department of Dermatology, Geisinger Medical Center
Dirk M Elston, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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