eMedicine Specialties > Dermatology > Fungal Infections

Piedra: Follow-up

Author: 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
Coauthor(s): Rachel Altman, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Dermatology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Jun 12, 2009

Follow-up

Further Outpatient Care

  • Spontaneous remissions are common.
  • Treatment is effective in patients without spontaneous remission.
  • Removal of hair is curative and requires no follow-up treatment.
  • Recurrences are rare.

Complications

  • The most common complication is the loss of the structural integrity of the hair shaft, which leads to breakage.

Prognosis

  • The prognosis after treatment is good.
  • Removal of the affected hair is usually curative, with few recurrences.
  • Even without treatment, spontaneous remissions can occur.

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • Failure to diagnosis piedra may lead to broken hair in patients and subsequent emotional distress.
  • Misdiagnosis of pediculosis or tinea capitis may result in unwarranted emotional distress in patients.
  • Misdiagnosis of pediculosis in children may result in their being banned from attending school because of the infectious nature of pediculosis and the possibility of an epidemic in the school.
 


More on Piedra

Overview: Piedra
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Piedra
Treatment & Medication: Piedra
Follow-up: Piedra
References
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References

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Further Reading

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Keywords

black piedra, white piedra, trichosporosis, asymptomatic superficial fungal infection of the hair shaft, Pleurococcus beigelii, P beigelii, Trichosporon beigelii, T beigelii, Piedraia hortae, P hortae, Trichosporon cutaneum, T cutaneum

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

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.

Coauthor(s)

Rachel Altman, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Dermatology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School
Rachel Altman, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha and Sigma Xi
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Neil Shear, MD, Professor and Chief of Dermatology, Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Pharmacology, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine; Head of Dermatology, Sunnybrook Women's College Health Sciences Center and Women's College Hospital, Canada
Neil Shear, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Canadian Dermatology Association, Canadian Medical Association, Ontario Medical Association, and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Michael J Wells, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Michael J Wells, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Association, and Texas Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Christen M Mowad, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Geisinger Medical Center
Christen M Mowad, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, and Phi Beta Kappa
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Glen H Crawford, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Chief, Division of Dermatology, The Pennsylvania Hospital
Glen H Crawford, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society of USAF Flight Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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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