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A Special Tinea Nigra Caused by Curvularia lunata: Case Report and Literature Review

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Abstract

Tinea nigra is a superficial fungal infection usually caused by Hortaea werneckii (H. werneckii). We report a special case of tinea nigra in an immunocompetent child who developed a unilateral, rapidly growing pigmented lesion on her palm. Interestingly, Curvularia lunata (C. lunata) was isolated from the lesion scrapes and was identified by both morphological features and molecular biology methods. The lesion was completely cleared by topical naftifine hydrochloride and ketoconazole cream. We present—to the best of our knowledge—the first case of tinea nigra where the causative pathogen was identified as C. lunata. We therefore provide a brief literature review of previously reported cases of tinea nigra to broaden the knowledge of the potential causative pathogens. The etiology, demography, clinical features, diagnostic methods, and treatment of the reviewed cases are summarized and analyzed.

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Acknowledgements

This case was supported by grants from the Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi Province of China (2020GXNSFGA238001), and The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University Provincial and Ministerial Key Laboratory Cultivation Project: Guangxi Key Laboratory of Tropical Fungi and Mycosis Research (No. YYZS2020006).

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  1. Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China

    Najwa Al-Odaini, Jin-ying Wei, Yan-qing Zheng, Dong-yan Zheng, Jazeer A. Khader & Cun-wei Cao

  2. Guangxi Health Commission Key Lab of Fungi and Mycosis Research and Prevention (The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University), Nanning, 530021, China

    Najwa Al-Odaini, Jin-ying Wei, Dong-yan Zheng, Jazeer A. Khader & Cun-wei Cao

  3. Fourth People’s Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, 530023, China

    Yan-qing Zheng

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  1. Najwa Al-Odaini
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Al-Odaini, N., Wei, Jy., Zheng, Yq. et al. A Special Tinea Nigra Caused by Curvularia lunata: Case Report and Literature Review. Mycopathologia 187, 291–298 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-022-00619-8

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