Analysis of the value of dermoscopy in the diagnosis of tinea incognito and eczema

CHEN Jun; YU Zhichao; ZHAO Jianbin

doi:10.11786/sypfbxzz.1674-1293.20250303

Abstract：Objective This study aimed to investigate the value of dermoscopy in the diagnosis of tinea incognito and eczema.Methods A total of 54 patients with tinea incognito and 54 patients with eczema treated at the Yanghe First Hospital of Suqian City,Jiangsu Province from October 2022 to September 2023 were enrolled.All participants underwent dermoscopy.Clinical data were collected,and dermoscopic findings were compared between the two groups to explore the diagnostic and differential diagnostic value of dermoscopy for eczema and tinea incognito.Results Among the 54 tinea incognito patients,Trichophyton rubrum was the most prevalent pathogen,accounting for 48.15%(26/54).Vascular morphology was a common feature in both conditions,with no statistically significant difference(P>0.05).However,significant differences were observed in vascular arrangement,scale color,background color,hair follicles,and hair characteristics(all P<0.05).Tinea incognito showed irregular vascular arrangement,predominantly white scales,yellowish background color,annular follicular elevation,and broken hair.Eczema featured patchy vascular arrangement,yellow or yellow-white scales,dark red or bright red background color,annular follicular elevation,and black dot signs in hair.For eczema screening,dermoscopy demonstrated comparable Youden index,specificity,sensitivity,and accuracy to the IGA score(all P>0.05),with a Kappa consistency index of 0.913(P<0.05).For tinea incognito screening,dermoscopy showed similar performance to fungal microscopy in Youden index,specificity,sensitivity,and accuracy(all P>0.05),with a Kappa consistency index of 0.941(P<0.05).Conclusion Dermoscopy is an effective tool for diagnosing tinea incognito and eczema,demonstrating high clinical application value.