[Tinea capitis by Microsporum gypseum, an infrequent species]

Tinea capitis is considered the most frequent dermatophyte infection in children. The etiological agents vary from time to time and by geographical area, although they normally are zoophilic dermatophytes and in the last years also anthropophilic species. We report a clinical case of inflammatory tinea capitis in a 6-year-old child caused by Microsporum gypseum, a geophilic fungus pathogenic to humans and animals. The sources of human infection are soil, cats, dogs and small mammals. This species is less frequent as a cause of dermatophytosis in humans, described mainly in tinea corporis and rarely in tinea capitis. In the diagnosis of tinea capitis identifying the causative species is a determinant of the treatment.