Hypopigmentation in tinea versicolor: a histochemical and ectronmicroscopic study

TLDR: The mechanism (s) which produce hypopigmentation in tinea versicolor infections has not been systematically studied, but the depigmentation of the genital area in Negro Jamaican babies secondary to tineaVersicolor infection, and the recent report of multiple hypopIGmented macules of tinea Versicolor on the shaft of the penis make this hypothesis unlikely.

Abstract: The mechanism (s) which produce hypopigmentation in tinea versicolor infections has not been systematically studied. It is generally considered that the fungus may filter ultraviolet light and prevent tanning of the infected area.i' 2 However, the depigmentation of the genital area in Negro Jamaican babies secondary to tinea versicolor infection,^ the recent report of multiple hypopigmented macules of tinea versicolor on the shaft of the penis'* and our clinical observation of sunburning limited to hypopigmented patches of tinea versicolor noted in Vietnam returnees make this hypothesis unlikely. Other theories which attempt to explain this phenomenon include failure in melanin granule transfer caused by increased keratinization,^ or a thinning of the stratum cornevun with subsequent loss of melanin granules contained within this legion.^ However, no