Q: I have noticed discolouration of my skin causing ugly black patches on a few parts of my body like the throat, neck, armpits and groin. It does not itch or hurt. In fact except for the colour, it is just like the rest of the skin. I don't recall when this started but I noticed it a few days ago. Is it fungal infection? I tend to sweat a lot.

A:Pigmentation in the flexures may be acanthosis nigricans. Could be because of hypothyroidism or diabetes or obesity. The patient should get the relevant investigations done and lose weight. A combination of Mometasone (steroid) and retinoid (Adapelene) creams would help in reducing the existing pigmentation.