mould infections can occasionally infect the skin and nails and cause indolent infections in healthy or immune compromised individuals, especially the elderly
mould infections originate from soil; organisms include:
mould infections can result in a fungal skin infection that appears identical to tinea pedis - infection can be mild or severe
Scopulariopsis brevicaulis and Scytalidinum dimidiatum are the most likely moulds to present as skin infection
mould infections of the finger and toenails can be indistinguishable from other types of onychomycosis
note that, unlike dermatophyte infections, moulds frequently result in paronychia (inflamed nail folds). One or more toenails may be infected, or the mould may simply be a contaminant. The surrounding skin is often dry and may itch. The appearance of the nail may include:
brownish, dull discolouration of the nail, which starts at one edge
pitted and streaked nail plate
complete nail destruction.
Diagnosis:
mould infections are diagnosed by microscopy and culture of skin scrapings and/or nail clippings
Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.