Atypical cutaneous candidiasis mimicking tinea corporis in an otherwise healthy young man: A case report.

Cutaneous candidiasis typically affects intertriginous areas and may be overlooked when occurring at non-intertriginous sites. We report a 28-year-old otherwise healthy man with a 7-month history of pruritic scaly erythematous lesions on both upper extremities and the upper abdomen. Before presentation, he had used a topical corticosteroid unsupervised for 2 months. The lesions were initially treated as tinea corporis. Direct microscopy showed pseudohyphae and spores, and two consecutive fungal cultures yielded Candida spp., with CHROMagar Candida supporting Candida albicans. The lesions resolved completely within 2 weeks after oral itraconazole and topical ciclopirox olamine. This case highlights the importance of mycological confirmation in chronic scaly eruptions with unusual distribution, especially in the setting of prior topical corticosteroid exposure.