Tinea capitis in the Florence area between 1985 and 1993

This paper describes the main epidemiological findings in 203 patients with tinea capitis and in seven other patients with dermatophytosis that had also extended to the scalp. The patients were observed over a 9-year period (from 1985 to 1993) at the Department of Dermatology of the University of Florence. Tinea capitis was the fourth most frequent dermatophytosis. Most of the patients were children, although 23 were adults. The most frequent aetiological agent was Microsporum canis. It is interesting to note that there were 12 cases of tinea capitis due to Trichophyton violaceum in African immigrants. This dermatophyte was believed to have disappeared from Italy. One case was due to Epidermophyton floccosum.