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Common tinea infections in children

Mark D Andrews1, Marianthe Burns

  • 1Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157-1084, USA. mandrews@wfubmc.edu

American Family Physician
|June 7, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Common fungal infections in children, known as tinea, are caused by dermatophytes. Diagnosis involves clinical assessment and microscopy, with newer oral antifungals offering effective, shorter treatment courses.

Area of Science:

  • Dermatology
  • Mycology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Superficial fungal infections, or tinea, are common in children, caused by dermatophyte genera like Trichophyton, Microsporum, and Epidermophyton.
  • Transmission occurs through direct contact with infected individuals or animals, or indirectly via contaminated environments and fomites.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To outline the diagnosis and management of common pediatric superficial fungal infections.
  • To compare the efficacy and treatment duration of various antifungal therapies.

Main Methods:

  • Diagnosis relies on patient history, physical examination, and potassium hydroxide (KOH) microscopy.
  • Additional diagnostic tools include Wood's lamp examination, fungal culture, and histologic tissue examination when necessary.
  • Treatment strategies involve topical therapies for most tinea infections, with oral agents reserved for specific conditions like tinea capitis.

Main Results:

  • Topical fungicidal allylamines may offer higher cure rates and shorter treatment durations compared to fungistatic azoles.
  • Newer oral antifungal agents (terbinafine, itraconazole, fluconazole) are effective and safe for tinea capitis, providing shorter treatment courses than griseofulvin.

Conclusions:

  • Accurate diagnosis of pediatric tinea is achievable through clinical evaluation and basic laboratory methods.
  • Modern oral antifungal therapies present improved safety, efficacy, and convenience for treating severe or resistant pediatric fungal infections.

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