Philippines - UP-DOST telemedicine project discovers rare skin disease in Mindanao tribe

“A dermatologist may not see this disease in his/her lifetime.” This is how Dr. Belen Dofitas, dermatologist of the University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH), describes Tinea imbricata, a disease found infecting a tribe in Kiamba, Sarangani Province in Mindanao through the telemedicine project of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCHRD-DOST) and the University of the Philippines National Telehealth Center (UP-NThC).

Tinea imbricata, also known as Tokelau ringworm, is an uncommon superficial fungal infection caused by Trichophyton concentricum. The disease is characterized by the formation of patches that are concentrically arranged, imbricated and known for its scaly rings and skin exfoliation. Read more...