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Epidemiology of tinea capitis in northeast Iran: a retrospective analysis from 1998 to 2012

Parvaneh Afshar1, Lale Vahedi2, Maryam Ghasemi2

  • 1Medical Mycology Laboratory of Reference Laboratory, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.

International Journal of Dermatology
|October 7, 2015
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Tinea capitis, a common pediatric fungal infection, is primarily caused by anthropophilic species like Trichophyton tonsurans and Trichophyton violaceum. Understanding these agents is key for developing effective prevention and treatment strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Dermatology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Tinea capitis is a prevalent fungal infection in children, presenting with scaling, hair loss, or inflammatory lesions.
  • Predominant causative agents include dermatophytic genera such as Microsporum and Trichophyton.
  • This study focuses on identifying tinea capitis and its etiological agents in Sari city, Iran.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the spectrum of tinea capitis.
  • To identify the specific etiological agents responsible for tinea capitis in the study population.
  • To analyze the clinical patterns and prevalence of tinea capitis in Sari, Iran.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 1745 patients referred to mycological laboratories and a hospital between 1998 and 2012.
  • Standard mycological techniques, including macroscopic and microscopic morphology assessments, were employed.
  • Identification of causative dermatophytes based on established diagnostic criteria.

Main Results:

  • A mycological examination confirmed tinea capitis in 480 patients (27.5%), with a peak incidence in the 5-14 year age group.
  • Endothrix was the most frequent clinical feature (54.8%).
  • The predominant causative agents identified were Trichophyton tonsurans (38.8%) and Trichophyton violaceum (24.8%).

Conclusions:

  • Tinea capitis in this region is predominantly caused by anthropophilic fungal species.
  • Trichophyton tonsurans and Trichophyton violaceum were the most common etiological agents identified.
  • The high prevalence of anthropophilic species suggests the need for targeted preventive and educational strategies to reduce disease burden and healthcare costs.

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