light patches on ds's face - anyone know what this could be?

[saadia]

Ds1 (aged three and a half) has a very small patch of skin on his face that has recently become lighter than the rest of his face.

MIL suggested that this might be due to a lack of red meat protein. Ds does eat eggs, cheese, chicken, red meat (maybe once a week) and fish.

The GP said it may be a fungal infection (although she didn't think it was this), lack of enough water or calcium or just effects of the sun. She has prescribed Abidec vitamins and sun cream.

Anyway, when I went to get the meds I just asked the pharmacist what he thought and he said it looked like a fungal infection and suggested Canestan cream.

Does anyone have any experience of this kind of thing? I will take ds back to see a different gp next week if it doesn't clear up by next week but would appreciate info from anyone who might have ideas as to what could be causing it.

The fungal infection would be ringworm - usually circular and gradually enlarging - does that sound like the patch, saadia? It's usually caught from animals but presumably can also be caught from other humans.

I think the skin looks lighter either because it sheds cells faster than usual, so loses the colour it had, or because the cells are different from normal so aren't coloured by the sun.

My kids have had it at varying ages - DS2 had a huge bald patch on the top of his head for months and months. Fungal cream does work but you have to keep on with it for ages.

HTH

babycentre

Thanks JanH, that's really helpful.

It actually doesn't fit the description of ringworm as it's not quite circular and is very small and only noticeable in certain light. Also the link you recommended said that in kids it's not normally on the face. Also ds's doesn't seem to be causing him any irritation or itching. But it's comforting to know that if it is ringworm, then it's not dangerous.

Thanks again, don't know what I'd do without MNers for advice.

Oh, meant to say, my kids' patches weren't red and itchy either.

Aha - after further googling I found "Tinea facialis (ie face) ? more common in children, mainly asymptomatic. May present as well-demarcated macule or plaque of variable size with elevated border and central regression, minimal scaling usual. Area pink to red and hyperpigmented in black patients. Can affect any area of the skin but not usually symmetrical."

Does that sound like DS's? Canesten should fix it.

That was from here . There are different specific forms of ringworm for different parts of the body apparently. Isn't nature - um - not wonderful in this instance, but amazing!

Yes, JanH, nature is amazing and surprising and there's so much that we don't know.

I'm thinking that it could well be infection, which would be more understandable than a vit/min deficiency as, although ds eats very little I did think his diet was balanced. I think I will try the Canesten. Thanks so much.