Lichen is a group of skin diseases that have different causes and prognosis, united by similar symptoms: the appearance of spots of various colors on the skin, accompanied by peeling, itching, sometimes with hair damage – breaking off above the surface of the skin.
Depending on the type of lichen, the causative agent of the disease can be fungi or viruses. In some cases, the exact cause of the disease is unclear.
Deprive happens:
- ringworm (microsporia)
- pink (Giber’s disease)
- red flat (wilson’s lichen)
- shingles (herpes zoster)
- pityriasis (versus versicolor)
- scaly (psoriasis)
Ringworm (Microsporia) – a fungal disease that affects smooth skin and skin with hairline. Children are more likely to get sick, in which the scalp is usually affected. In adults, lichen foci are more often located on smooth skin.
Source of infection there may be a sick person, but more often animals, especially kittens (outwardly, the animal may not have signs of illness). Lichen can be transmitted through toys, hygiene items, towels, clothes, and more.
Incubation period lasts from 5 days to 6 weeks.
Ringworm symptoms: on smooth skin, lichen appears as rounded foci – red-pink spots with clear boundaries, peeling and itching. The spots are dense, a ring of small bubbles forms along the contour, the center of the spot acquires a pale pink color. Spots are more often located on the skin of the face, neck, hands.
On the skin with hair in the area of the focus, hair breaks off at a loss of 2-5 mm from the skin surface. Along the edge of the focus, the hair is easily pulled out, around the bulbs they have white muffs. The focus seems to be covered with flour, has peeling, and may be accompanied by itching. Eyelashes and eyebrows are often affected, as well as vellus hair on the skin.
Diagnosis and treatment:
For diagnosis and treatment, be sure to contact a dermatologist, since the manifestations of lichen can be easily confused with other diseases. For diagnosis, fluorescent, microscopic and cultural studies are used.
In the treatment of microsporia, various antifungal drugs are used. When depriving smooth skin without damaging the hair, local treatment with antimycotic ointments is prescribed. If lichen affects the hair, systemic therapy with antifungal drugs is prescribed in combination with external treatment. The course of treatment averages 1.5 months.
Prevention
Be careful when dealing with pets, avoid contact with stray cats and dogs. Affected animals should be isolated and treated with a full course of antifungal therapy.
When a child becomes ill, quarantine measures should be strictly observed. All items that have been in contact with the sick person should be disinfected (toys, clothes, bedding, etc.). Be sure to examine family members for microsporia.
