Dermoscopic Features of Tungiasis

Abstract

Tungiasis is a parasitic infection caused by the sand flea Tunga penetrans. Tungiasis is prevalent in rural Central and South America, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa.¹ In some endemic areas, the overall infestation prevalence exceeds 50 percent, and it remains an important public health problem for poor communities.^1,2 In some cases, the eruptions can mimic viral warts, furuncles, abscesses and paronychia.¹ Dermoscopy is reported to be a useful tool for differentiating between these and tungiasis lesions.^3,4 Moreover, the majority of cases have multiple lesions, with the ectoparasites causing more than 50 lesions in a single individual in some cases,⁵ and dermoscopy can help find the lesions. Despite the clinical utility of dermoscopy, no reports have assessed the significance of each dermoscopic finding in tungiasis. Here we report a case of tungiasis and we review the dermoscopic findings of 11 lesions of the patient to reveal the characteristic findings.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.