Can I have epidural analgesia if I have tinea versicolor?

Labor and delivery, while perceived as gratifying and joyful, are nonetheless among the most painful events women can experience in life. Treating pain is nowadays one of the essential elements in assisting women during labor. Epidural analgesia is the best option to ensure the optimal control of pain for the mother without compromising the wellbeing of the fetus. The main contraindications to neuraxial analgesia techniques include patient refusal, known bleeding diathesis or abnormal coagulation tests, elevated intracranial pressure (particularly in the presence of an intracranial space occupying lesion), severe aortic or mitralic valve stenosis and infections at the puncture site [1]. There are many pathogens responsible for cutaneous infections at the dorsal-lumbar level, yeasts of the Malassetia genus being the most commonly implicated. Malassetia Globulosa is the predominant species in the Tinea Versicolor infection [2,3]. Also implicated are M. Sympodialis, M. Furfur and others as well [4]. These fungi are normal components of the cutaneous flora but the transformation from yeasts to micelia can lead to the pathology. The cause for this occurrence is still unknown, yet there are a few contributing factors leading to this infection that affects mostly adolescents and young adults; these are genetic predisposition [5], heat and humidity, immunosuppression, contraceptives, pregnancy and malnutrition. It manifests with characteristic hypo- or hyper-pigmented spots alongside the trunk, the neck, and the face. The majority of the times infection is entirely superficial but cases of meningitis and Central Nervous System (CNS) infections from hematogenous spread have been reported [6,7]. The literature supports with data that adequate antiseptic preparation of the skin effectively prevents meningitis occurrence after epidural puncture [8]; other cases are reported where a small incision of the skin allows for a safer passage of the needle directly in the subcutis without going thnrough the corneal layer.