Clinical Manifestations of Mouse Favus in Man

Introduction The causative organism of mouse favus, Microsporum quinckeanum (Quincke's α-Pilz, Achorion quinckeanum), has attracted wide interest since Quincke's publications 20-22 on this particular type of dermatomycosis. Although Bodin 5 and Bloch 4 confirmed Quincke's findings, the dermatophyte, a distinct species, and the manifold clinical manifestations caused by it were not well understood for a long time. There are several reasons for this misapprehension: 1. Favus of mice due to Microsporum quinckeanum is less frequent than human favus due to Trichophyton schonleini. In Europe, where human favus is endemic, Quincke's publications induced several authors 7-9,15,18 to search for this dermatophyte. They isolated nothing but T. schonleini from favic lesions. 2. A fungus other than T. schonleini causing the formation of scutula did not fit into the doctrinaire schemes of the dermatologists of the last century. They refused to believe that the clinical entity favus, i.e., the presence of scutula, was