Favus: a fungal affection which disappeared ?

• The term comes originally from Latin:

  Favus = honeycomb

• When one looks at a famous picture in Dr Hebra’s textbook, one understands the comparison of the term with ease.

• The fungus causing the affection is called Trichophyton schönleinii, which refers to Dr Johann Lucas Schönlein (1793-1864) who worked at la Charité hospital in Berlin, Germany.
• With the help of the work of botanists such as de Candolle (Geneva, Switzerland) and Unger (Vienna, Austria), Schönlein found the agent causative of favus.

• Favus, which was eradicated in Europe, is a feared and quite contagious condition which heals with scarring.
• Nowadays the condition is uncommon in the United States and Europe but Foci of favus have been seen worldwide, including Poland, Southern and Northern Africa, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, Australia, South America (Brazil), Canada (Quebec), and the Middle East.

• It is located mainly on the scalp but can extend to other parts of the body.
• Diagnosis is quite straightforward because of the presence of yellow bucket like-depressions (“honeycomb”)

Contributors

Dr Christophe Hsu – dermatologist. Geneva, Switzerland

Source of information: Harms M. Dermatologica Helvetica (The Swiss Journal of Dermatology and Venereology)