Tinea universalis due to Trichophyton indotineae in an adult male

Tinea universalis is a condition when most of the anatomical sites of body are involved due to dermatophyte infection both in immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Here we present a case of tinea universalis due to Trichophyton indotineae (T. indotineae) from India. This species has emerged recently. Earlier, it has been reported as Trichophyton mentagrophytes (T. mentagrophytes) and Trichophyton interdigitale (T. interdigitale). T. indotineae has been associated with outbreaks and epidemics of chronic, recalcitrant, and nonresponsive to terbinafine, in India and several other countries. The patient was prescribed Itraconazole (200 mg/day), Luliconazole cream topically and antihistamine at night, with marked improvement clinically. Easy availability and misuse of corticosteroids cream, as over-the-counter drug, should be discouraged.