Practical use of handheld ultraviolet flashlights for detection of fungal reservoirs in a patient with Microsporum canis dermatophytosis with similar efficacies to Wood’s lamp

Abstract

Reinfection is the common problem in patients with dermatophytosis. Disinfection of pets is important prevention for reinfection in patients with zoophilic dermatophytosis. A Wood’s lamp can be used to detect infected pets which have superficial fungal infections, especially Microsporum canis. However, the device is expensive, bulky and not readily available at every clinic. We reported a 49-year-old woman with M. canis dermatophytosis on the left arm and abdomen. Her asymptomatic cat showed no abnormal lesions; however, a standard Wood’s lamp and two handheld ultraviolet (UV) flashlights on the hair revealed areas of fluorescence. The affected hair under a handheld UV flashlight was collected for potassium hydroxide examination and fungal culture which yielded positive results. In summary, the handheld UV flashlights can detect M. canis infection in pets with similar efficacy to that of the original Wood’s lamp.