Kerion: An Unusual Presentation in the Otolaryngology Department

A 19-year-old farmer presented to the otolaryngology department with acute breathlessness and a three-day history of painful swelling and hair loss in the beard area on the right side of the neck. The patient's upper airway was compromised unless the neck was extended. Examination showed normal larynx and pharynx. The symptoms improved with intravenous antibiotics and hydrocortisone. Skin scrapings cultured Tricophyton verrucosum, and the neck swelling resolved after treatment with oral griseofulvin followed by terbinafine. This case was notable as difficulty in breathing due to a fungal infection of the neck had not been previously reported in English literature.