Tinea capitis. A clinicoetiologic correlation

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Mycology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Tinea capitis is a common superficial fungal infection of the scalp.
• It disproportionately affects children, particularly in resource-limited settings.
• Understanding causative agents and clinical presentations is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical spectrum of tinea capitis in school children.
• To identify the dermatophyte species causing infections in this population.
• To explore potential correlations between clinical variants and specific fungal agents.

Main Methods:

• Clinical diagnosis of tinea capitis variants in 50 school children.
• Fungal culture and identification of isolated dermatophytes.
• Correlation analysis between clinical presentation and mycological findings.

Main Results:

• Tinea capitis was observed in school children of low socioeconomic status.
• Common clinical diagnoses included grey patch, black dot, seborrheic, kerion, and pustular types.
• Dermatophytes were cultured from 37 patients, with Trichophyton violaceum being the most frequent isolate, followed by T. rubrum, T. mentagropytes, and T. verrucosum.

Conclusions:

• Tinea capitis is prevalent among economically disadvantaged school children.
• Trichophyton violaceum is the predominant dermatophyte causing scalp infections in this group.
• Further research is warranted to confirm correlations between clinical variants and specific fungal species.