Tinea nigra palmaris et plantaris B36.1

Cerqueira 1891; Montoya y Flores 1893; Castellani 1905; Parreiras-Horta 1921

Harmless, mostly tropical mould disease, which occurs in Europeans after travelling abroad to tropical or subtropical countries and has so far only been observed in Palmae and Plantae.

Phaeoannellomyces werneckii (Cladosporium werneckii; Exophiala werneckii, Hortaea werneckii). Due to the halophilia of the pathogen (from Greek salt; organisms that can live in increased salt concentrations) the infection occurs mainly on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

Occurs mainly in South and Central America and Africa. Rarely found in North America and Europe, then mostly as traveler's dermatosis. w:m=3:1;

In the endemic countries, children are particularly affected.

Especially palms of hands and soles of feet. In the tropical regions there is also infestation of fingers, toes, thorax, neck and rarely the face.

Several weeks incubation period. Chronic, 0.5-3.0 cm in size, often borderline, roundish or oval, irregularly limited, symptomless, light to dark brown spot, rarely flat raised plaque. Usually no inflammatory reaction or scaling.

Fungus detection, see under mycoses. Horteae werneckii grows black-yeast-like on standard media within 5-8 days.

Pityriasis versicolor (practically does not occur on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet)

Melanocytic nevus (dermoscopy and neg. cultural detection; bioptic detection)

Malignant melanoma (dermatoscopy and neg. cultural detection; bioptic detection)

Foreign body injections (dermatoscopy and negative cultural evidence; trauma usually recalled).

Broad-spectrum antimycotics in combination with keratolytic therapy such as 10% salicylic acid ointment (e.g. Salicylvaseline Lichtenstein, Salicylic acid ointment 1/2/3/5/10 or 20% - NRF 11.43.), see also Tinea.

1. Abliz P et al (2003) Specific oligonucleotide primers for identification of Hortaea werneckii, a causative agent of tinea nigra. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 46: 89-93
2. Eksomtramage T et l. (2019) Tinea nigra mimicking acral melanocytic nevi. IDCases 18:e00654.
3. Gupta G et al (1997) Tinea nigra secondary to Exophiala werneckii responding to itraconazole. Br J Dermatol 137: 483-484
4. Haneke E et al (1983) Histology and electron microscopy of Tinea nigra. Mycoses 26: 514-520
5. Montoya y Flores A (1893) Recherches sur les Carates de Colombia. These Med París (1893) 25: 48-49
6. Parreiras-Horta W (1921) Sobre un caso de Tihna preta e un novo cogumelo (Cladosporium werneckii) Rev Med Cir Brazil 29: 269
7. Pegas JR et al (2003) Tinea nigra: report of two cases in infants. Pediatric dermatol 20: 315-317
8. Reid BJ et al (1998) Exophiala werneckii causing tinea nigra in Scotland. Br J Dermatol 139: 157-158
9. Shannon PL et al (1999) Treatment of tinea nigra with terbinafine. Cutis 64: 199-201
10. Smith SB et al (2001) Dermoscopy in the diagnosis of tinea nigra plantaris. Cutis 68: 377-380
11. Wolf M et al (2016) Brown spot on the sole of the foot. Dermatologist 67: 414-415