Abstract
A 29-year-old man developed an itchy eruption on his left forearm two months previously. Since the rash gradually expanded, he consulted our hospital. He had started to keep a chinchilla six months earlier, and the animal had developed an area of patchy alopecia, coincident with his rash. A thumb-tip-sized [Note: it is better to indicate size in cm or mm], scaly, erythematous papule was observed on his left forearm, and direct microscopic examination of skin scrapings showed the presence of fungi, leading to a diagnosis of body ringworm. Slide cultures demonstrated round conidia in grape-like clusters, as well as spiral organs. Isolates were identified by culture as Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and by PCR as Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii. The chinchilla was then examined at an animal hospital, and was also diagnosed with ringworm by microscopy. The skin rash was relieved by topical application of terbinafine hydrochloride. Since rodents including chinchillas are increasingly being kept as pets, we predict that the incidence of fungal infections transmitted from murine hosts will increase in the future. Skin Research, 9: 541-544, 2010
