Medical Questions » Fungal Infections Questions » Question No. 415
| Question: | I have white patches on my skin that spoils my otherwise excellent tan. it has been there for a couple of years now, and seems to settle a bit in winter. What could it be? |
| Answer: | You are probably suffering from pityriasis versicolor. This is a mouthful of a name for a very common condition (particularly in warmer climates) but there is no simple name for this skin infection.
It is a fungal infection that affects young adults more than the elderly and children. The chest, upper arms, neck, upper back and armpits are the most commonly affected areas.
Patients develop pink/btown patches on the skin, which may have a very faint scale upon them. After a few weeks, the skin underlying the rash has less pigment, so the rash appears as white patches which are due to sunlight being unable to tan the skin underlying the fungus. Areas not exposed to sunlight (eg. armpits, breasts) may retain the pink/brown patch appearance. This effect does not occur on Aborigines, Chinese and other dark-skinned races. There are no other symptoms other than an occasional very mild itch.
No investigations are normally necessary, but diagnosis can be proved by examining skin scrapings under a microscope.
Treatment involves the regular use of antifungal lotions, rinses or creams. An antifungal tablet (ketoconazole) is used in persistent and widespread cases. The white patches will remain for some time after the fungus has been destroyed, until the sun tans the area again. Episodes of infection are quite easy to clear, but it often recurs in the next summer.
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