A facial swelling with multiple discharging sinuses: a diagnostic conundrum.

BACKGROUND: Many disease processes can present with facial swelling and multiple discharging sinuses. A differential diagnosis would include actinomycosis, tuberculosis and osteomyelitis, but tinea barbae is a relatively uncommon presentation. CASE REPORT: The following case report describes a 48-year-old jockey who was diagnosed with tinea barbae. It chronicles the investigations that were performed to determine the offending pathogen and the difficulty in achieving a diagnosis. DISCUSSION: The investigations and the pathophysiology of dermatophytic infections and their management in a maxillofacial/oral medicine environment are discussed.